No abstract

Brackish water desalination has become increasingly important in arid inland regions for reliable water supplies, but the management of desalination brine waste is costly.

ROM FERTILIZERS TO FRAGRANCES and food additives to flame retardants, chemicals fuel modern society. With innovations in science and technology, synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs) are constantly synthesized, reformulated, and applied in new ways. With trace levels found in utility source waters, much uncertainty remains about the significance and potential health effects of SOCs. The unknown effects of exposure to unregulated trace organics can influence public perception about drinking water safety and drive treatment decisions. Some common groups of organics found at trace levels are ■ pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), ■ endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs),■ contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), and ■ pesticides. These chemicals are pervasive, because most people use them in the form of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, hormones, food additives, fragrances, herbicides, insecticides, cleaners, plasticizers, flame retardants, and many other common products. Many of these chemicals are present in wastewater and, if not removed during treatment, enter the environment through treated wastewater discharges. The presence of these trace organic chemicals in drinking water sources isn't new. Recent attention to chemical residues and by-products is a result of frequent occurrence as well as the ability to detect them at ultra-low levels. Detection capabilities have outpaced the ability to understand the health significance of ultra-low concentrations of organic chemicals in drinking water.Emerging Contaminants