What on Earth Are CECs?

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) are chemicals that have only recently been identified as potential threats to the environment and human health. Unlike traditional pollutants, CECs are not yet widely regulated, but growing scientific evidence suggests they may pose significant risks.

CECs include a broad range of substances: pharmaceuticals flushed down toilets, microplastics shed from clothing, flame retardants in furniture, and "forever chemicals" like PFAS used in non-stick coatings. What makes them particularly concerning is their persistence — many don't break down in the environment and can accumulate in water, soil, and living organisms over time.

Where Do CECs Come From?

The sources are surprisingly everyday. Washing synthetic clothing releases thousands of microplastic fibres into wastewater. Sunscreen washed off at the beach introduces UV filters into coastal waters. Agricultural runoff carries pesticides and veterinary medicines into rivers and eventually the ocean.

Wastewater treatment plants, designed decades ago, were never built to filter out these modern chemicals. As a result, CECs pass through treatment processes largely intact and enter our waterways.

Why Should We Care?

Even at very low concentrations, CECs can disrupt ecosystems. Synthetic hormones from contraceptive pills have been shown to feminise male fish in rivers. Microplastics have been found in the deepest ocean trenches, in Arctic ice, and even in human blood.

The science is still developing, but the precautionary principle suggests we should act now. Understanding CECs is the first step toward meaningful change — and that's exactly what A New Formula is here to help with.

What Can You Do?

Start by learning which everyday products contain CECs. Choose natural fabrics where possible, dispose of medicines properly, and support policies that push for better wastewater treatment. Small actions, multiplied across millions of people, create real impact.