Emerging contaminant (triclosan) identification and its treatment: a review

Abstract

Abstract: Pollutants from personal care products (PCPs), pharmaceuticals, industrial wastes, food additives, pesticides and fertilisers are classified as emerging contaminants (ECs). These ECs have been given much attention due to their deleterious effects on human life, plants and animals. Triclosan (TCS), a broad spectrum antibiotic, is under the category of emerging contaminants; it is shown to have an eco-toxicity. It is a ubiquitous contaminant due to its wide range of applications in PCPs as an antibacterial agent. Inefficacy in the conventional treatment of wastewater which is being discharged into natural streams has led to the bioaccumulation of TCS. Concentrations of TCS have been detected in several wastewater treatment plants and urinary samples of humans and streams. In surface waters, TCS was detected in Korea, USA, Europe, China, Japan and India. In order to overcome the astringent effects of TCS, there is a need for its treatment. This paper addresses studies conducted on methods of treating TCS, and among all the methods, membrane technology (MT) was found to be effective and this is mainly due to hydrophilic nature of TCS, high log Kow value (4.8), and a removal efficiency > 95% was observed when powdered activated carbon of 100 mg/l was combined with MT. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]