Executive Summary : | Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) such as pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and personal care products show persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic traits towards aquatic life. The impact of these compounds on human health is still not completely understood. However, the chances of irreversible effects on future generations due to continuous exposure to these compounds cannot be eliminated. Most developed countries have identified the potential risks of EOCs and have started regulating the release of these compounds into the environment. In the Indian scenario, the highest concentrations of pharmaceuticals were reported in samples collected in the vicinity of a pharmaceutical hub (Larsson et al., 2007). Over the counter sales and inadequate infrastructure for the treatment of wastewater generated have escalated the contamination of environmental waters. It needs immediate attention. Even though several monitoring studies have identified the presence of EOCs in different parts of the country, none of the studies has focused on understanding the occurrence dynamics of these compounds in surface water. This information is invaluable in India since the river water will be used for drinking purposes at downstream locations. It is time to focus on the factors which can significantly impact or alter the concentrations of EOCs in rivers, in addition to the mere reporting of the concentration of EOCs in river water samples. The present study will focus on identifying the occurrence dynamics of EOCs in the Yamuna river in the Delhi region, understand the spatial and temporal variations, develop C-Q relations to assess the effect of hydrological conditions, compare the detection pattern with the land use and ultimately identify the significant sources of different EOCs frequently detected in the Yamuna river. The study will employ the most advanced instrumentation capable of the target, non-target, and suspect identification of EOCs. The findings of the study will be useful to the policy makers and regulatory agencies to understand the most prevalent EOCs in the Delhi region and their primary sources. Furthermore, the consumption of antibiotics and antimicrobial agents used in soaps, handwash, and disinfectants has considerably increased during the pandemic. These will ultimately end up in our water bodies. Hence it is imperative to execute the present study to understand the occurrence of EOCs in the Yamuna River and the influence of land use and hydrological parameters on the distribution of these compounds in the Delhi region. The present study will be exploratory research in this direction. Future studies will look into the accurate determination of hydrological parameters on-site, catchment studies and the collection of flow-weighted samples for efficient urban water management. |