Biodegradation of Conventional and Emerging Pollutants

Dear Colleagues,

Our first steps into the 21st century are associated with the introduction of ground-breaking technological advances; however, this progress often comes at the cost of notable environmental hazards. The development of numerous industrial sectors has resulted in the production of several novel compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and various chemical additives. These groups often include xenobiotics with an unknown environmental impact. Furthermore, the growing population of consumers corresponds to increased usage of personal care products. This leads to constant use of surfactants, polymers, and organic solvents. Our economy is currently facing an important shift from nonrenewable resources to sustainability; therefore, the contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons as well as heavy metal ions still remains a topic of high importance. Despite the improvement of environmental awareness, chemical compounds are continuously released into the environment, and chronic exposure to low doses of pollutants has been recognized as a major health threat. In order to counter the abovementioned issues, there is an urgent need to provide appropriate analytical, technical, and legal solutions.

As such, this Special Issue is focused on the identification of conventional and emerging pollutants as well as the description of monitoring and treatment methods. The challenge to make chemistry “green” still remains valid.

Dr. Lukasz Chrzanowski
Dr. Łukasz Ławniczak
Guest Editors

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