Chemical pollutants
Chemicals are substances, mainly of anthropogenic origin, used for industrial, agricultural and/or domestic purposes. They are found in a wide range of products, including plant protection products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paints and detergents, etc. These pollutants include, for example, PFAS, pesticides, pharmaceutical compounds, hormones and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Because of the way they are used, these substances are introduced into the different environmental compartments (air, water and soil) through various processes and they can pass from one compartment to another depending on their physicochemical properties. These chemicals can be toxic to the environment and to human health. One of the current environmental challenges is therefore to monitor these chemicals in the environment.