Emerging and Persistent Pollutants in the Aquatic Ecosystems of the Lower Danube Basin and North West Black Sea Region—A Review

Abstract

The tremendous impact of natural and anthropogenic organic and inorganic substances continuously released into the environment requires a better understanding of the chemical status of aquatic ecosystems. Water contamination monitoring studies were performed for different classes of substances in different regions of the world. Reliable analytical methods and exposure assessment are the basis of a better management of water resources. Our research comprised publications from 2010 regarding the Lower Danube and North West Black Sea region, considering regulated and unregulated persistent and emerging pollutants. The frequently reported ones were: pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim), pesticides (atrazine, carbendazim, and metolachlor), endocrine disruptors—bisphenol A and estrone, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorinated pesticides, and heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg, Cu, Cr). Seasonal variations were reported for both organic and inorganic contaminants. Microbial pollution was also a subject of the present review.

Microbial Prevalence in Soil Water in the River Deltas of the World

“…from fecal pollutants in the river fresh water give birth to maximum health hazards of river fauna as well as the human residence of the river delta. A detailed assessment of river fresh water and its different branches reveals that the potential indicator bacteria of aquatic pollution is Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci for fecal pollutants [84,[174][175].…”

Hybrid nanomaterial-based indirect electrochemical sensing of glyphosate in surface water: a promising approach for environmental monitoring

“…Anthropogenic activities, especially agricultural and industrial activities, led to the release of different hazardous chemicals harmful to the environment, such as herbicides, pesticides and other emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disruptors) or persistent organic pollutants (organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), 1 which can inevitably penetrate surface waters, leading to the contamination of drinking water sources and the entire aquatic ecosystem. 2,3 Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine -GLY) is one of the most widely used herbicides for ghting broadleaf weeds worldwide.…”

Seasonal distribution, source identification, health and eco-toxicological risk assessment of PAHs in water and sediment from the Danube River in Hungary

“…Numerous studies have employed water and sediment as important matrices for evaluating PAHs contamination in rivers (Wang et The Water Framework Directive (WFD) obligates the European Union member states to achieve a satisfactory quantitative and qualitative assessment of the status of all bodies of water (Szalinska, 2018). Nonetheless, some bodies of water (for instance Danube River in Hungary) have not yet reached this objective, and emergent pollutants such as PAHs are not yet controlled (Chiţescu et al, 2021). Studies that have examined the PAHs level in the Danube River within the Hungarian regions can be categorized into two groups.…”