Emerging Pollutants of the 21st Century: Microplastics, PFAS, Pharmaceuticals, and Other Invisible Challenges to Health Environment

Emerging Contaminants of the 21st Century offers a comprehensive overview of one of today's most pressing environmental issues. Throughout its chapters, the book explores the origin, distribution, and potential effects of various emerging contaminants, including microplastics, nanoplastics, PFAS, pharmaceutical residues, endocrine disruptors, and tobacco-derived contaminants. It analyzes the main routes of human exposure, the concept of the exposome, biomonitoring tools, and analytical advances that have made it possible to detect these substances in the environment and in living organisms. It also addresses issues related to risk assessment, the situation in Latin America, mitigation strategies, regulatory challenges, and future prospects. With an approach grounded in scientific evidence and an interdisciplinary perspective, this book aims to familiarize readers with the complex link between technological development, environmental pollution, and human health, while promoting critical reflection on the challenges society faces in building a more sustainable future.