Emerging contaminants, or contaminants of emerging concern, refer to a variety of different chemical pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disrupting compounds, pesticides and industrial by-products.

Emerging contaminants, or contaminants of emerging concern, refer to a variety of different chemical pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disrupting compounds, pesticides and industrial by-products.. These compounds have been found in surface and drinking water and are known to accumulate in the food chain with adverse effects. Advances in analytical instrumentation have allowed for the detection of these emerging contaminants, even at trace levels, and the monitoring of their impact. PerkinElmer, with extensive expertise in environmental testing, supports academic researchers, government scientists and drinking water professionals in their work to identify, trace and study these pollutants and ensure both environmental and human health.

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CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN

Endocrine Disrupters

Endocrine disrupting chemicals can mimic or interfere with hormones and can negatively affect human and animal health. These compounds, which include chemicals found in plastics, flame retardants, pesticides, household products, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals, are slow to degrade and can accumulate in the environment.

Cyanotoxins

Cyanobacteria are commonly found in freshwater environments where they can produce blooms which can cause unpleasant odors and deplete oxygen levels, causing conditions harmful to wildlife. Some cyanobacterial blooms can produce cyanotoxins such as microcystin, anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin, and saxitoxin…

PFAS

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of industrial chemicals that include such compounds as PFOA and PFOS, among many others. Their fluorine-carbon bonds are extremely stable, making them highly resistant to environmental…

PPCPs

One of the most critical groups of emerging contaminants is pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), owing to their inherent ability to effect human physiology at low concentration levels. These compounds are released, intentionally and unintentionally, into the environment where they can accumulate in natural waters and soils.