Emerging contaminants in Mexican waters: monitoring and regulation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62430/rtb20262422165

Keywords:

wastewater, mass spectrometry, solid-phase extraction, environmental monitoring, nanomaterials, environmental regulation

Abstract

Emerging contaminants are a relevant environmental concern due to their increasing occurrence in aquatic matrices and the limited regulation for their monitoring in Mexico. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to analyze studies conducted mainly in Mexico between 2010 and 2025 on the detection and quantification of these compounds in water. For this purpose, scientific literature related to pharmaceutical compounds, personal care products, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, and other environmentally relevant contaminants was reviewed. The results show that the most widely used techniques are liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Likewise, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) stand out as preconcentration methods. However, a marked methodological disparity among regions and institutions was identified, which limits data comparability. Therefore, standardized analytical protocols, stronger collaborative networks, and updated Mexican regulations are required to improve environmental surveillance and risk management.

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Published

2026-07-09

How to Cite

Magdaleno-López, C., Ibarra Rodríguez, D., Hernández-Rosales, I. P., Osuna-Cabanillas, J. M., & Cabello-Méndez, J. A. (2026). Emerging contaminants in Mexican waters: monitoring and regulation. The Biologist, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.62430/rtb20262422165