New Types of Persistent Halogenated Compounds

The book gives an overview of properties and research methods of new persistent organic chlorine and bromine compounds which have been observed as potential environmental hazards especially as bioaccumulated xenobiotics, but intensively studied only recently. Sources from product uses, industrial processes, wastes, emissions or metabolic transformations are reviewed. Physical and chemical properties and degradation rates useful for environmental fate predictions are given. Observations of levels and trends in environmental compartments are presented. Analytical methodologies and biological effects are described in detail. Compounds reviewed include planar PCBs, PCB metabolites, alkylaromatic chlorohydrocarbons (from pulp chlorobleaching and substitutes of PCBs), polybrominated biphenyls, polychlorinated and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated terphenyls, naphthalenes, dibenzothiophenes and paraffins, toxaphene and tris(4-chlorophenyl)methane derivatives.