Emergent organic pollutants: myth or reality?
The preservation of water quality is a major issue for both Environment and Human Health and it is thus important to characterize and comprehend the factors that can affect it. Amongst these factors is chemical contamination, with the aquatic environment being its ultimate sink. The knowledge concerning presence, pathways of introduction, sources of micropollutants in aquatic ecosystems, has considerably increased in recent years. Beside historical contaminants such as PCBs, PAHs, the concept of emerging contaminants has arised in the past decade in relation with instrumental improvements. This presentation will present the status of current knowledge about these compounds on the analytical and environmental point of view. The presentation will discuss analytical developments and especially analytical challenges regarding these compounds (trace levels, complex mixtures and matrices) and will debate about the source, introduction pathways and fate in the environment, highlighting related challenges and need of future developments.