Chapter 8
Enantiomer-Specific Fate and Behaviour
of Chiral Contaminants
Even after almost 30 years of documented investigations in the field of chiral
environmental pollutants, enantiomers are often still considered as two halves of
one chiral pollutant, although they behave differently in homo-chiral biological
environments. Thus, the below citations still need to be highlighted in order to
initiate a special sensitivity in the mind of the respective scientist (students and
professionals) dealing with various aspects of chiral environmental chemistry and
toxicity.
Neglect of stereoselectivity of biological objects and stereospecificity of bioactive agents
nevertheless is a still persisting aspect of today’s pharmacology and toxicology. It results in
heavily biased “scientific” data such as half-life times, biological availabilities, concentration response relationships etc. for racemates and mixtures of isomers in general. It is like
presenting the age or body weight of a married couple or even a 4 person family (a mixture of
4 stereoisomers) in one figure. Such impressive nonsense is still rather common. (Ariens
et al. 1988)
In the case of chiral pollutants, environmental studies have historically neglected to determine the adverse effects associated with particular enantiomers, and which enantiomers may
persist in the environment. Consequently, much of the environmental data that has been
collected for chiral pollutants, including many of the chemicals raising the greatest public
concern, may have represented only the presence of relatively innocuous enantiomers.
(Lewis et al. 1999)
Many reports are available on the analysis of organic pollutants, but these do not distinguish
which mirror images of pollutants are present and which is harmful in the case of chiral
pollutants. Scientists and other regulatory authorities are in demand for tackling associated
problems in these areas. (Ali et al. 2003)
The professional consciousness of environmental scientists (Chemists, biologists,
toxicologists and modellers) has evolved further during the past 20 years (after the
first edition of this book was published) with respect to the risk associated with
enantiomers (Garrison et al. 2011a, b). Thus, the authors of the here-presented,
updated monograph firmly believe that today’s professional environmental chemists
occupied with the environmental risk evaluation of chiral pollutants consider
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Kallenborn et al., Chiral Environmental Pollutants,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62456-9_8
107
Enantiomer-Specific Fate and Behaviour
of Chiral Contaminants
Even after almost 30 years of documented investigations in the field of chiral
environmental pollutants, enantiomers are often still considered as two halves of
one chiral pollutant, although they behave differently in homo-chiral biological
environments. Thus, the below citations still need to be highlighted in order to
initiate a special sensitivity in the mind of the respective scientist (students and
professionals) dealing with various aspects of chiral environmental chemistry and
toxicity.
Neglect of stereoselectivity of biological objects and stereospecificity of bioactive agents
nevertheless is a still persisting aspect of today’s pharmacology and toxicology. It results in
heavily biased “scientific” data such as half-life times, biological availabilities, concentration response relationships etc. for racemates and mixtures of isomers in general. It is like
presenting the age or body weight of a married couple or even a 4 person family (a mixture of
4 stereoisomers) in one figure. Such impressive nonsense is still rather common. (Ariens
et al. 1988)
In the case of chiral pollutants, environmental studies have historically neglected to determine the adverse effects associated with particular enantiomers, and which enantiomers may
persist in the environment. Consequently, much of the environmental data that has been
collected for chiral pollutants, including many of the chemicals raising the greatest public
concern, may have represented only the presence of relatively innocuous enantiomers.
(Lewis et al. 1999)
Many reports are available on the analysis of organic pollutants, but these do not distinguish
which mirror images of pollutants are present and which is harmful in the case of chiral
pollutants. Scientists and other regulatory authorities are in demand for tackling associated
problems in these areas. (Ali et al. 2003)
The professional consciousness of environmental scientists (Chemists, biologists,
toxicologists and modellers) has evolved further during the past 20 years (after the
first edition of this book was published) with respect to the risk associated with
enantiomers (Garrison et al. 2011a, b). Thus, the authors of the here-presented,
updated monograph firmly believe that today’s professional environmental chemists
occupied with the environmental risk evaluation of chiral pollutants consider
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Kallenborn et al., Chiral Environmental Pollutants,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62456-9_8
107