A Comprehensive Approach Addressing the Most Chronic and Emerging Contaminants Along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast

Newly identified substances known as emerging contaminants (ECs) are harmful to the environment and public health, frequently because limited regulation and incomplete understanding of their impacts. They comprise a broad variety of materials, such as insecticides, industrial wastes, personal care items, and medications. Persistent pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that have remained in the environment for an extended period of time. They tend to move through the atmosphere over enormous distances making them a chronic contaminant and may harm ecology and humanity over time. In Egypt, particularly within its Mediterranean Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), heavy metal (HM) contamination is increasingly recognized, though there is not enough information about its sources, distribution, and ecological risks. Further endangering environmental ecosystems is the continuous creation and usage of synthetic plastics, particularly microplastics (MPs). Egypt's Mediterranean Sea ecosystem is unique in its richness. It is widely acknowledged that it is a significant hotspot for the buildup of MPs in the Nile River that enters the eastern Mediterranean basin. This review aims to identify and characterize the major POPs, HMs, and MPs, their origins, environmental effects, and hazards in aquatic systems. It also compiles and synthesizes the current state of research regarding their abundance and distribution within Egypt's Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.