Contaminants of emerging concern: An environmental challenge.
10/24/25
GOservicios aplica innovación analítica para monitorizar compuestos emergentes y garantizar el cumplimiento normativo
In recent years, the approach to managing and controlling the water we consume and discharge has changed. In addition to traditional contaminants, there are emerging concern contaminants, a set of compounds that until recently were not on the radar of authorities or laboratories. Today, we know that many of them—such as pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and even microplastics—can have a significant impact on human health, wildlife, and ecosystems.
At GOservicios, we work daily to address this new challenge. Our laboratory has the experience, technology, and accreditation required to analyze these compounds and provide reliable results to our clients.
What are emerging concern contaminants?
They are considered emerging because they are new in the regulatory and scientific field, not because they didn’t exist before. For decades, they were not systematically studied, but today European and national legislation incorporates them, such as Royal Decree 3/2023 on drinking water or TARU for wastewater.
These compounds include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and bisphenol A linked to plastics, as well as antibiotics and hormones in urban waters. Microplastics are also included, with regulatory methods still being defined.
Innovation and commitment in our laboratory
At GOservicios, we have implemented advanced technologies like liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, which allows us to detect and quantify contaminants at extremely low levels.
Our technical team continuously works on implementing and validating new methods, adapting to legislative changes and client needs. As Mónica, Head of Physical-Chemical Development, explains: “We continuously incorporate dozens of new compounds into our analysis routine, which requires not only sensitive and expensive instrumentation but also highly qualified personnel.”
Our laboratory holds ENAC accreditation for physical-chemical, microbiological, ecotoxicological, parasitological, virus, radioactivity, legionella, in situ testing, and sampling activities, under UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025. This guarantees that our analyses meet the highest quality standards and allows us to provide accredited results more efficiently, without lengthy external validation.
Looking ahead
The constant emergence of new contaminants means this work never stops. Every day brings new compounds to monitor, and at GOservicios, we are prepared to face them with scientific rigor, technological innovation, and environmental commitment. Because we know that behind every analysis is not only regulatory compliance but also the protection of human health and the preservation of the environment.