Emerging and traditional pollutants in water resources: A perspective on the American Continent

Abstract

The increasing presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) is directly associated with the widespread use of personal care products, pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, microplastics, and other organic and inorganic compounds driven by modern consumer culture. These substances, often unregulated, continuously enter the environment through sewage, domestic and industrial effluents, and inefficient wastewater treatment, leading to endocrine disruption and reproductive issues in wildlife, as well as broader ecological and human health risks. In contrast to traditional pollutants (TPs) such as heavy metals, which are better studied, and partially regulated ECs remain a growing concern due to their persistence and unknown long-term effects. Even though efforts have been made to standardize some heavy metals, their toxicity still poses challenges to water quality and public health. Therefore, continuous monitoring of both ECs and TPs is crucial to track contamination sources, assess environmental and health impacts, and support the development of remediation technologies and environmental policies. This review aimed to compile and analyze scientific literature on the incidence and effects of ECs and TPs in water resources, focusing on their most common types, environmental pathways, and biological models used for toxicity testing. The bibliometric analysis encompassed 200 research articles from the Americas, highlighting the most studied contaminants, methodological trends, and data essential for modeling pollution dynamics and guiding evidence-based decisions. The findings provide a foundational framework for improving water resource management and underscore the urgent need to integrate ECs into regulatory and monitoring programs to ensure aquatic ecosystem sustainability.