As the only surviving species of the genus Homo, we named ourselves Homo sapiens meaning ‘wise man’ in Latin. This overconfident self-nomination brings us the responsibility of wisdom in decision-making. However, a persistent increase in population and irresponsible consumption of the natural resources accelerate contaminant influx into the natural environment-creating multitude of environmental problems. Recent progress in analytical chemistry has made it possible to detect a growing number of emerging contaminants (ECs) in environmental waters. Most of the ECs are substances used every day by humans, such as pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, and illicit drugs, or are found in widely used products such as personal care products (PCPs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and plasticizers. Therefore, treatment and preservation of natural resources became critical for maintaining sustainable global development. In this regards, as an environmental science and engineering researcher, I focus on exploring the application and implications of new technologies for treatment and conservation of environmental water resources.