Striving for collaborative science and communication through the Consortium for Research and Education on Emerging Contaminants (CREEC)

Abstract

Current analytical capabilities are allowing scientists to identify possible contaminants in the environment that were previously unmonitored or were present at concentrations too low for detection. New scientific evidence about the exposure pathways and potential impacts of some of these compounds on human or environmental health is regularly being published (Woodling et al., 2006; Drewes et al., 2005; Kinney et al., 2006; Gibs et al., 2007; Veldhoen et al., 2006). Recent news headlines have declared potential human health and ecological concerns regarding the occurrence of personal care products and pharmaceuticals in our environment. These are products that we regularly use (or create) in our homes, businesses, farms and industry, including plasticizers, flame retardants, detergents, pesticides and herbicides, antibacterial agents, steroids, antibiotics, and disinfection byproducts. These ‘emerging contaminants’ (ECs) are compounds that have recently been shown to occur widely in one or more environmental media, have been identified as being a potential public health or ecological risk, and yet adequate data are lacking to determine their actual risk (Younos, 2005; Soin and Smagghe, 2007; Hutchinson, 2007).