Groundwater quality: global challenges, emerging threats and novel approaches

Improving our understanding of groundwater quality threats to human health and the environment is essential to protect and manage groundwater resources effectively. This essay highlights some global groundwater quality challenges, describes key contaminant groups and threats of emerging concern, including antimicrobial resistance, and discusses novel approaches to assessing groundwater quality. Groundwater quality monitoring needs to improve significantly in order to effectively identify and mitigate threats to groundwater from historical, current and future pollution.

Automated summary

Improving our understanding of groundwater quality threats is crucial for protecting and managing groundwater resources effectively. Enhanced groundwater quality monitoring is needed to identify and mitigate the impacts of pollution on groundwater from past, present, and future sources.