Chlorinated organic compounds, which include chlorinated solvents (TCE and PCE), industrial chemicals (PCBs and polyvinyl chloride), pesticides (DDT and its derivatives, chlordane, and dieldrin), and by-products of manufacturing and combustion processes (dioxins and furans), are global pollutants.
This group of compounds composes the majority of identified persistent xenobiotic substances and is known to bond strongly to body fat and, therefore, to accumulate in fatty tissues. The transport of these substances through the food chain allows them to persist and biomagnify within the aquatic food chain, thereby making them available to higher forms of life. In 1993, the American Public Health Association stated that "virtually all chlorinated organic compounds that have been studied exhibit at least one of a wide range of serious toxic effects such as endocrine dysfunction, developmental impairment, birth defects, reproductive dysfunction and infertility, immunosuppression, and cancer, often at extremely low doses" (AJPH 84 (3):51-515).
Chlorinated organics are common contaminants at hazardous waste sites. For example, TCE has been found at approximately 800 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites. These compounds, particularly the PCBs, resist microbial biodegradation and represent a significant challenge to those charged with remediation of contaminated sites.
Use the search tools below to find additional information about SBRP-funded research on chlorinated organic compounds.
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