abstract

Emerging contaminants (ECs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine-disrupting compounds, pesticides, antibiotics, industrial chemicals, and microplastics, have emerged as a major environmental concern due to their persistence, bio accumulative nature, and potential adverse impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. This study assesses the occurrence, distribution, and ecotoxicological impacts of emerging contaminants in surface water and groundwater systems across urban and rural regions of Ranchi district, India. A descriptive, analytical, comparative, and laboratory-based research design was adopted, wherein representative water samples were collected using a stratified sampling approach and analysed through advanced laboratory techniques. Ecotoxicological assessment was carried out using bioindicator responses, biological endpoints, and ecological risk quotient (RQ) analysis, while Geographic Information System (GIS) was employed to evaluate spatial distribution and identify contamination hotspots. The findings revealed comparatively higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, industrial chemicals, and microplastics in urban water bodies, whereas pesticide residues were predominant in rural agricultural areas. Ecotoxicological evaluation indicated significant effects on algae, zooplankton, and fish, including growth inhibition, behavioural alterations, reproductive impairment, and physiological stress. GIS analysis further identified municipal wastewater discharge zones, hospital effluents, industrial areas, and agricultural runoff regions as major contamination hotspots. The study emphasizes the need for continuous environmental monitoring, advanced wastewater treatment technologies, and effective pollution control strategies to ensure sustainable water resource management, ecological conservation, and protection of public health.