Global Water Pollution and Human Health Ren´ e P. Schwarzenbach, 1 Thomas Egli, 1, 2 Thomas B. Hofstetter, 1, 2 Urs von Gunten, 1, 2 and Bernhard Wehrli 1, 2 1 Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), ETH Z ¨ urich, 8092 Z ¨ urich, Switzerland; email: [email protected] 2 Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 D ¨ ubendorf, Switzerland Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2010. 35:109–36 First published online as a Review in Advance on August 16, 2010 The Annual Review of Environment and Resources is online at environ.annualreviews.org This article’s doi: 10.1146/annurev-environ-100809-125342 Copyright c 2010 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved 1543-5938/10/1121-0109$20.00 Key Words agriculture, geogenic, micropollutants, mining, pathogens, wastes Abstract Water quality issues are a major challenge that humanity is facing in the twenty-first century. Here, we review the main groups of aquatic con- taminants, their effects on human health, and approaches to mitigate pollution of freshwater resources. Emphasis is placed on chemical pol- lution, particularly on inorganic and organic micropollutants including toxic metals and metalloids as well as a large variety of synthetic or- ganic chemicals. Some aspects of waterborne diseases and the urgent need for improved sanitation in developing countries are also discussed. The review addresses current scientific advances to cope with the great diversity of pollutants. It is organized along the different temporal and spatial scales of global water pollution. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have affected water systems on a global scale for more than five decades; during that time geogenic pollutants, mining operations, and hazardous waste sites have been the most relevant sources of long-term regional and local water pollution. Agricultural chemicals and waste- water sources exert shorter-term effects on regional to local scales. 109 Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2010.35:109-136. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org Access provided by 2402:800:62f0:703a:9dd6:4948:450f:9f0a on 06/26/23. For personal use only.
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