Portfolio - WRc's Collaborative Research Programme
Published on: 09 Jan 2024
By: Carolyn Lobb
This #TechnicalTuesday, Toxicologist Team Leader Adeolu Aderemi at WRc’s National Centre for Environmental Toxicology (NCET) navigates the complexities of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) and unveils WRc’s 2024 Expert Forum on PFAS and emerging contaminants in drinking water.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are widely used persistent chemicals that are omnipresent – meaning they have been found in food, air, water, soil, and sediments - where they represent a potential threat to ecology and human health.
There are thousands of different types of PFAS chemicals and each of them may respond differently to the same type of water treatment technology. While regulatory requirements regarding PFAS in drinking water vary around the UK, water companies are balancing the need to meet existing requirements, prepare for changing regulations and, ultimately, protect their customers’ health.
Some of the challenges encountered with emerging contaminants, such as PFAS, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and microplastics, include one or more of the following:
- Limited information about the sources and pathways into the environment.
- High costs associated with innovative solutions to treatment and management.
- Absence of opportunities to share knowledge and best-practice across regions.
- Lack of toxicological data or standard protocol for the human health risk assessment of some of the chemicals.
To tackle some of the challenges, WRc’s expert team of microbiologists, engineers, and toxicologists will be launching an ‘Expert Forum on PFAS and Emerging Contaminants’ in 2024. This collaborative group will bring together expert voices in the risk assessment, treatment, and management of PFAS and other CEC found in drinking water. With focus on the mounting challenges faced in the UK, the group will discuss emerging issues, review regulatory and research developments, and collaboratively evaluate practical solutions to treating and managing these emerging contaminants.
For more general information about the Forum or to join, please email portfolio@wrcgroup.com