The last decade epidemiologic concern of drinking water contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in Asian Countries: A scoping review

With the rapid industrialization and urbanization in Asian countries, the challenge of rising emerging contaminants in the environment, including the water cycle, has become more pronounced. Consequently, the presence of CECs in drinking water systems is inevitable due to their ubiquitous nature in aquatic environments. This scoping review aims to identify epidemiological concerns regarding drinking water CECs in Asian countries over the past decade by describing the types of assessed CECs, their associated health effects, and identifying gaps and future research prospects through a summary of relevant studies. Searches were conducted on PubMed and Scopus up to February 29, 2024. Included were epidemiological studies from the past 10 years (since January 2014) in Asian countries that assessed emerging contaminants in drinking water through direct measurement or analysis as factors. From an initial pool of 3198 results, 15 relevant studies were selected. These studies assessed various types of CECs, including disinfection byproducts (n = 10), endocrine disruptors (n = 2), pesticides (n = 2), and a protozoan pathogen (n = 1). The meticulous assessment of CECs and associated health outcomes in Asian epidemiological studies over the past decade has been deemed inadequate to address the wide range of ubiquitous CECs in drinking water and their potential health effects that have not yet been addressed. While not the sole objective, the primary aim of epidemiological studies is to inform policy decisions and increase awareness among the public and policymakers. Therefore, researchers in Asian countries, particularly in environmental and public health fields, should prioritize the development of research in this area by exploring more CECs type and associated health outcomes.