Perchlorates as emerging contaminants: Sources, hazards, detection and remediation—An overview

Perchlorate contamination is a recent and significant issue in the context of environmental pollution. Perchlorates are mainly used as ingredients in solid propellants and pyrotechnic compositions. Perchlorate contamination of drinking water and food has recently become a human health concern, as studies have shown that they can interfere with the normal uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland, leading to a reduction in its production of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in vertebrates. In addition, rapid industrialization is contributing to the generation of significant amounts of wastewater and treatment is becoming highly necessary. The perchlorate ion ([Figure presented]) is extremely mobile and persistent in groundwater, making it difficult to find the most universal method that works under all conditions for treating groundwater of this contaminant. This article reviews the state of knowledge about the toxic effects of perchlorate on living organisms and humans and reviews methods and technologies for treating perchlorate-contaminated waters. In contrast to previous works, our sole focus is on perchlorate and a comprehensive discussion of the various aspects of perchlorate contamination, ranging from the origins of perchlorate to perchlorate remediation methods, is presented.