A step forward in the detection of byproducts of anthropogenic organic micropollutants in chlorinated water

Abstract

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are widespread in the water cycle. Their levels in disinfected waters are usually low, as they may transform into CEC disinfection byproducts (DBPs) during disinfection processes or partially removed in previous water treatment steps. The occurrence of CEC DBPs in real waters has been scarcely addressed, although their presence may be of relevance in water circular economy scenarios, and thus deserves further study in water regeneration systems. In this work, a database of CEC DBPs (n=1338) after chlorination was generated and is ready to use in future screening studies to assess the relevance of these chemicals in contaminat mixtures. Moreover, the transformation of CECs during chlorination, their main reaction pathways with chlorine, and current knowledge gaps were critically reviewed.