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Science 20 Jul 2018:
Vol. 361, Issue 6399, pp. 240-242
DOI: 10.1126/science.361.6399.240-r
Modern life relies on vast numbers of different chemicals, from pharmaceuticals and cleaning products to pesticides and plastics. Wastewater treatment is widely used to avoid their release into the environment. In a Perspective, Kümmerer et al. explain that such treatments cannot capture all chemicals in wastewaters. Furthermore, even in developed countries, not all wastewater is treated. Preventing harmful chemicals from entering wastewater streams is thus key. This can be achieved through adapting industrial processes, reducing chemical complexity, and prioritizing chemicals that can break down quickly into harmless substances in the environment. In a related Perspective, Kortenkamp and Faust explain that the toxicity of chemical mixtures is typically higher than that of the individual chemicals. Integration of different parts of the regulatory system will be needed to adequately capture the risks from the chemical mixtures to which humans and the environment are routinely exposed.
Science, this issue p. 222, p. 224