Organic micropollutants in the environment: A literature review

Chronic exposure to organic micropollutants (OMPs) represents a significant and pervasive threat to global ecosystems, despite the rarity of acute toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of OMPs, encompassing their sources, classification, environmental occurrence, and associated adverse effects on ecological integrity and human health. Particular empHasis is placed on the mechanisms of bioaccumulation and biomagnification in terrestrial and aquatic plants, as well as the resulting human exposure pathways and health risks. A critical knowledge gap is identified in the limited availability of quantitative data on global OMP production, release rates, and the real-world, field-scale performance of current remediation technologies, which severely constrains robust environmental risk assessment. To address these challenges, future research must prioritize the development and widespread adoption of highly sensitive and reliable analytical methods, alongside the creation of transparent, publicly accessible datasets detailing OMP usage patterns, environmental persistence, and transport dynamics. Furthermore, we strongly advocate for the urgent implementation of multi-trophic Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) frameworks—comparable to those applied to synthetic insecticides to capture the complex, organism-specific risks posed by physiologically active OMPs and their transformation products. Failure to address these critical gaps will inevitably lead to profound and far-reaching consequences for both environmental sustainability and public health.