Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are substances and microorganisms including physical, chemical, biological, or radiological materials known or anticipated in the environment, that may pose newly identified risks to human health or the environment. They require a clear technical approach on how to identify and evaluate them while acknowledging uncertainties in their environmental fate and transport, receptor exposure, and/or toxicity.
To improve regulatory response resources and provide a foundation for communicating potential risk, ITRC produced the Contaminants of Emerging Concern Framework (CEC-1, 2023) which includes a white paper and four associated fact sheets. These materials help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders identify examples of contaminant of emerging concern monitoring programs, evaluate potential hazards, communicate real and perceived risks, and understand how laboratory analytical methods support the identification process.
The recent Biological Contaminants of Emerging Concern (BioCEC, 2025) document provides guidance for evaluating biological agents, such as pathogens or other microorganisms, that many pose risks to human, animal, or environmental health.
Topic(s): Contaminants of Emerging Concern, Risk Assessment
