Micropollutants fate in the water environment from sources to humans: integrated risk assessment and targeted mitigation strategies in a one-health approach

Micropollutants pose significant challenges to the sustainable management of water resources due to the complexity of the water system. In fact, insufficient removal efficiencies in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and untreated wastewater discharged during wet weather events contribute to their persistence in receiving water bodies. Agricultural (re)use further exacerbates challenges, transferring pollutants to soils and crops and impacting both environmental and human health. Receiving waters are also used for drinking water production, requiring a wise management to minimize impacts on consumers’ health. Variability in hydrological conditions, such as wet weather events and prolonged dry periods, increasingly relevant in the future due to climate change, amplifies these challenges, necessitating mitigation interventions, which can be targeted through an integrated risk assessment. We propose a One Health framework to comprehensively evaluate the risks posed by micropollutants across interconnected compartments, including industrial discharges, urban overflows, WWTPs, receiving water bodies, and agricultural systems. To ensure acceptable risk levels throughout the system, targeted interventions were assessed, such as the implementation of storage tanks to manage flood events and the enhancement of advanced treatment units in WWTPs. By integrating these strategies, this approach demonstrates how coordinated actions can effectively mitigate risks under multiple conditions, providing a robust and sustainable foundation for addressing environmental and human health challenges in complex water systems.