Table 1. Types and sources of water pollution.

Origin

Class

Examples

Problem Areas

Source

Biocides

Pesticides

DDT

Toxic effects and

persistent
metabolites

Iwata et
al., 1994
Bignert et
al., 1998

Atrazine

Effects on
primary
producers

Solomon
et al., 1996

Tributyltin

Endocrine
effects

Tanabe et
al., 1999

Triclosan

Persistent
degradation
product

Lindstrom
et al., 2002

Detergents

Nonylphenol
ethoxylates

Endocrine active
transformation
product

Ahel et al.,
1994

Pharmaceutical
s

Antibiotics

Bacterial
resistance

Kolpin et
al., 2002

Hormones

Ethinyl estradiol

Fish
feminization

Geyer et
al., 2000

Personal care
products

Ultraviolet filters

Mostly unknown
effects

Daughton
& Ternes,
1999

Non
agricultural
Biocides

Consumer
Products

Disinfection

Disinfection by- Trihaloproducts

methanes

Drinking water
quality and
human health

Richardson
et al., 2002

Geogenic

Heavy metals

Lead
Cadmium
Mercury

Human health

Nriagu &
Pacyna,
1988

Inorganics

Arsenic
Selenium
Fluoride
Uranium

Human health

WHO,
2011

Human
hormones

Estradiol

Fish
feminization

Eggen et
al., 2003

Solvents

Tetrachloromethane

Drinking water
contamination

ECETOC,
1999

Intermediates

Methyl-tbutylether

Drinking water
contamination

ECETOC,
1999

Petrochemicals

Benzene

Drinking water

ECETOC,

Industrial
chemicals

Industrial
products

Toluene
Xylene

contamination

1999

Additives

Phtalates

Drinking water
contamination

Macdonald
et al., 2000

Lubricants

Polychlorinated
biphenyls

Biomagnificatio
n

Macdonald
et al., 2000

Flame
retardants

Polybrominated
diphenylethers

Biomagnificatio
n

Eriksson et
al., 2001

Choloracetanilid
e herbicide
metabolites

Drinking water
contamination

Hladik et
al., 2005

Transformation Metabolites
Products

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