Chapter 6 - Some organic compounds in potable water: the PFASs, EDCs and PPCPs issue

Abstract Anthropogenic organic pollutants are continuously entering aquatic ecosystems, principally through urban and industrial discharges, and there is ever more research worldwide about their environmental and ecotoxicological impact. Nevertheless, the release of most of them into water ecosystems is not yet regulated. They are commonly found in surface and groundwaters, threatening the quality and availability of the major renewable resources for the production of drinking water. Starting from the current international directives on the surface and drinking water protection, this chapter focuses on the sources, environmental dynamics, and effects of selected classes of conventional and emerging organic micropollutants, with particular attention paid to drinking water and the effectiveness of water treatments in their removal. Environmental and toxicological risk implications are also considered. Further research efforts are needed for a correct and sustainable management of drinking resources, constituting an important challenge for the protection of water supplies and human health.