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Abstract

One of the most produced organic chemicals is known as Phthalate esters (PAEs) which are also excessively used with huge applications in industrial procedures as well as in packaging, medical centers, cosmetics, painting, agriculture, and consumer product uses. These organic pollutants are ubiquitous in the environment, mostly due to uncontrolled urbanization and are a cause of adverse impacts on humans and other living organisms. They even possess carcinogenicity characteristics and endocrine disrupting properties in the aquatic environment through their metabolites. Several studies were found to report the disrupting impacts these compounds make with their prevalence, toxicity, and exposure paths in the aquatic system, including humans. Waters are specifically vulnerable to PAEs because of the various sources of input through land runoff, agriculture, urban households, leaching of wastes etc., thus making it an emerging pollutant in the water. However, modern methodologies and instrumentations have been successful to measure even small amounts of PAEs in lakes, rivers, oceans, and other samples of aquatic systems. This study aims to provide a thorough study of the distribution and characteristics of phthalate esters and their effects on aquatic ecosystems including aquatic organisms and humans all over the world. These data will be beneficial for understanding the overall distribution of PAEs in the aquatic environment and reducing their ecological footprint.

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