BRICS countries represent some of the fastest-growing world's economies and populations, which faces the challenge of poor health-hygiene and water quality. The rapid industrialization and reforms to provide substantial health systems have resulted in the ubiquitous presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in the different ecosystem matrices. Furthermore, with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as advancing global health concerns, the evaluation of the ecological, human health, and AMR risks associated with PPCPs is necessary. 

With this aim, the study was designed to assess the risk of PPCPs and AMRs in the surface and drinking water (DW). Also, since the presence of AMRs has been detected in water distribution systems, the application of point of use (POU) technologies as a plausible option was determined. The most frequently seen PPCPs in five regions from the secondary data included Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Carbamazepine, Caffeine, Triclosan, Sulfamethoxazole, and Methylparaben. Similarly, the dominance of antibiotics and caffeine was attributed to the overuse of antibiotics or non-astringent regulation, aquaculture, and domestic WW. We determined high ecological risk (RQ>1) was found for algae, Daphnia, and fishes for all PPCPs. For chronic human health risk, high carcinogenic (5х10-5- 1.8 х10-2) and non-carcinogenic risk coefficient (HQ= 2.5х10-3- 0.15) were determined for various age groups. The probability of microbial and AMR risk was carried out using the QMAR approach, whereby the human exposure via tap water was obtained in the range of 10-10-7 CFU/day E. coli with the variation in the probability of illness 0.48-0.25. In terms of evaluation of the POU technologies, maximum risk drop was obtained for ultrafiltration and granular activated carbon with a reduction of probability of illness by 0.40. Overall, the study aids in fulfilling the gap in PPCPs' monitoring and risk when emerging countries (BRICS) are compared with North American and European countries.

Interpretation of the Risk Associated With Emerging Contaminants in the Aquatic Systems for BRICS Nations

Created in 1999, the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) is the recognized leader within ASCE for the integration of technical expertise and public policy in the planning, design, construction, and operation of environmentally sound and sustainable infrastructure impacting air, land and water resources.

[Paper Proceedings](https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483466)

Conference DOI: https://doi.org/10.26226/m.6329c39b68fb0e00131f77d2