Invisible pollutants: environmental, economic and social impacts as a threat to water quality
The object of this study is a discussion on the environmental, social and economic impacts of invisible pollutants as a threat to water quality and sustainability. The investigation is geared towards contributing to effective sustainability, taking into account its threat by invisible pollutants and the fact that these pollutants are not included in routine monitoring programs of Health and Environmental bodies, nor are they incorporated to standards or legislation for environmental control. The work was then divided, and it first analyzes the importance of water quality in the attainment of sustainability. Next, it analyzes the Brazilian law on water resources; and finally, it discusses the challenges to maintain the quality of water considering the environmental, social and economic impacts of invisible pollutants. After detailed study, it is perceived that the reason for concern is that these minuscule molecules are resistant to conventional water treatment processes. They can even become increasingly toxic and pollute the noblest resource: water. For this reason, water, even after treatment, can still contain residual contaminants which, after reaching their concentration limits, become toxic and change aquatic communities. This is a critical situation, since all impacts of these molecules are still not entirely known.