transport of the chemical may well explain the detection of DP in distant areas
including the Arctic. Existing data on the concentrations of DP in marine ecosystem
and ambient air suggests that DP could become a worldwide emerging contaminant
for the environment. Although the environmental level of DP contamination is small,
a clear source-related increase in DP concentrations is apparent in nearly all environmental matrices including soil (Wu et al. 2009), sediments (Shen et al. 2011), and
air (Yu et al. 2015).
8.5.5 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial chemicals primarily produced during 1930 and 1977 in the United States (Hopf et al. 2009). PCBs were mainly used as
lubricants and coolants in electrical equipment such as transformers and capacitors
due to their general characteristics of being heat stable and chemically inert. Owing
to their unique properties such as chemical stability, electrical insulating ability, high
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Long-term Health
Effects
Skin, lung, bladder, and
gastrointestinal cancers
DNA, cataracts, kidney and liver
damage
Gene mutation cell damaging
and cardiopulmonary mortality
Short-term Health
Effects
Eye and skin
irritation
Nausea and
vomiting
Inflammation
Fig. 8.5 Flowchart showing short- and long-term health effects of exposure to PAHs. (Source:
Kim et al. 2013)
Fig. 8.6 The general structures of syn-DP and anti-DP
8 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Sources, Types, Impacts, and Their. . .
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