Embedding Environmental Science and Technology into Sustainability

E nvironmental science and technology have contributed much to a better world.However, a new understanding of their role is urgently needed.Recently, human-made and mobilized material have exceeded natural materials.1 Planetary boundaries have been transgressed for synthetic chemicals.A steep increase in the diversity, complexity, and volume of chemicals and materials on all levels from atomic to molecular, material, and product levels can be observed, and this development is expected to continue.Products such as alloys, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, personal care products, dyes, fibers, plastics, electronics, textiles, furniture, buildings, tires, cars, etc., are made up of complex combinations of different atoms, molecules, and materials.Moreover, the products and their constituents mix during use and at the end of their life at various rates and locations, e.g., in waste streams, the technosphere, the anthroposhere, and the natural environment.Legacy chemicals are still present in materials and products in use, waste, brown fields, soils, sediments, and the environment.During use, circulation, recycling, and treatment of effluents and exhausts and in the environment, chemicals and materials often undergo changes in composition and form non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) and transformation products (TPs).One parent compound often leads to many such reaction products.TPs and NIAS are often not commercially available as analytical standards and therefore need to be synthesized.How can we assess these substances if they are not available as pure compounds?All of these chemicals, materials, and products generate local, regional, national, and global flows with varying dynamics in terms of volume, composition, and lifetime.Each successful treatment or removal depends on optimum conditions for each individual compound, material, or product.Therefore, treatment is often demanding and incomplete. 2 Should we accept the ongoing loss of nonrenewable constituents such as metals or ongoing and long-term Viewpoint pubs.acs.