Integrative strategies and future perspectives to mitigate chemical toxicity in human and aquatic systems

Human exposure to hazardous chemicals occurs through multiple pathways, including inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact, and consumption of contaminated water, leading to adverse outcomes such as systemic toxicity, and chronic diseases. The release of these contaminants into aquatic ecosystems primarily from industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and urban effluents has significant ecological ramifications. This review aims to synthesize recent findings on the sources, pathways, toxicological impacts, and mitigation strategies related to chemical pollutants in aquatic environments and human health. A structured literature review was conducted using databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate, with search terms such as “chemical toxicity,” “heavy metal contamination,” “microplastic bioaccumulation,” “aquatic toxicity and health,” “bioremediation of pollutants,” and “green chemistry.” Findings reveal that prolonged exposure to toxic substances is linked to tumors, immune suppression, reproductive dysfunction, developmental delays, and congenital anomalies in humans. Aquatic organisms are similarly impacted by pollutants from pharmaceuticals, pesticides, oil derivatives, and antifouling agents, with documented cases of endocrine disruption and teratogenic effects. Environmental chemical toxicity management still faces major obstacles despite advancements in risk assessment, chemical monitoring, and mitigation techniques. Analytical limitations continue to limit the detection of new pollutants at trace levels, and complicated exposure pathways and mixing effects make estimates of ecological and human risk more difficult. Advanced cleanup methods may be expensive or challenging to apply at scale, and regulatory regimes are sometimes varied across areas. Furthermore, less is known about the long-term, chronic, and synergistic consequences of low-dose exposures, underscoring the necessity of integrated, interdisciplinary methods. This study notably tackles the research gap by integrating human health outcomes with aquatic toxicological information and emphasizing new sustainable mitigation solutions from a unified chemical management viewpoint.