New piece on micropollutants in Current Biology

Bertram, M.G., Martin, J.M., Wong, B.B.M., Brodin, T., 2022. Micropollutants. Curr. Biol. 32, R17–R19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.038 | PDF

What are micropollutants?

Micropollutants are organic and inorganic contaminants that have become widespread in ecosystems around the globe. By definition, micropollutants are of anthropogenic origin and occur in the environment at trace concentrations — that is, in the range of micrograms, nanograms, or picograms per litre or kilogram. These contaminants include a wide array of natural and synthetic organic compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nanomaterials, steroid hormones, pesticides, and plasticisers. Likewise, metals present in the environment at greater than (potential) background levels fall into the category of micropollutants and include heavy metals, trace metals, and metalloids. Notably, while chemical pollution has historically been attributed to a defined group of industrial chemicals, many micropollutants are instead considered to be emerging contaminants, which were traditionally unmonitored and unregulated but are potentially hazardous to wildlife and human health.