Environmental Fate of Emerging Contaminants and Their Transformation Products in Mexican Aquatic Systems: Distribution, Persistence, Monitoring Gaps, and Removal

Emerging contaminants (ECs) represent a growing environmental problem due to their presence in various environmental matrices. In Mexico, research on ECs remains limited. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, analyzes their environmental fate during the period 2004–2025, considering their distribution in surface and groundwater, sediments, and influents and effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The reviewed studies demonstrate the presence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), personal care products, phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides, illicit drugs, xanthines, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), metabolites, and industrial compounds. The Apatlaco, Cuautla, and Santa Catarina rivers exhibit the greatest diversity of ECs, while groundwater shows evidence of infiltration of PhACs, phthalates, bisphenols, and triclosan, associated with urban, industrial, and tourist discharges. In sediments, PhACs and EDCs accumulate at concentrations in the ng/g range, while phthalates reach concentrations of thousands of ng/g, indicating their affinity for the solid phase. At Mexican wastewater treatment plants, conventional treatment methods do not completely remove ECs, allowing residual amounts to be discharged into receiving bodies of water. Overall, national monitoring should be expanded to include metabolites, transformation products, and advanced treatment assessment.