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Persistent Organic Pollutants in Marine Ecosystems. PoPs in Swedish Breast Milk. Halogenated Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Chlorine Bromine Fluorine. Types of PoP. Pesticides Industrial Chemicals By-Products. Toxicity of PoPs. Related to structure Related to ‘most toxic substance’
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HalogenatedAromatic Hydrocarbons Chlorine Bromine Fluorine
Types of PoP • Pesticides • Industrial Chemicals • By-Products
Toxicity of PoPs • Related to structure • Related to ‘most toxic substance’ • 2,3,7,8 tetrachloro dibenzo dioxin • Toxicity Equivalent - TEQ • Relative Factor of 1 for 2,3,7,8 TCDD
Dioxins/Furans • 75 individual chlorinated dioxins • 135 individual chlorinated furans • Very stable & bind to soils and sediment
Associated Issues • Bioaccumulation – Biomagnification • Loss of higher predators • Adverse impacts on marine food chains • Fish eating – Gt Lakes of North America, Baltic & North Sea • Birth defects, reduced aptitude in new born babies • Endocrine Disruption
PCBs – Major Problems • Baltic Sea & North Sea • Gt Lakes of North America • Hudson River • Local “difficulties” : • Mersey Estuary & Liverpool Bay
Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls • 209 Compounds - ca 100 in env • Highly inert • Introduced 1930s • Discovered in environment 1966 by Jensen in Sweden during analysis for DDT • 750,000 tonnes manufactured
Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls • Banned by USEPA in new uses in 1979 • Manufacture completely banned in 1984
Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls • Technical Mixtures • Arochlor 1242 • Arochlor 1254 • Arochlor 1262
Flame Retardents • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
Impacts of tissue residues Endocrine Disruption
Intersex Flounder Intersex Mersey Male Flounder Gonad
Endocrine Disruption • Molluscs –– TBT - IMPOSEX