TY - JOUR PY - 2012// TI - Persistent toxic substances: sources, fates and effects JO - Reviews on environmental health A1 - Wong, Ming H. A1 - Armour, Margaret-Ann A1 - Naidu, Ravi A1 - Man, Ming SP - 207–213 EP - 207–213 VL - 27 IS - 4 N2 - Persistent toxic substances (PTS) include the Stockholm persistent organic pollutants, like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin/furan, etc., and organometallic compounds, like organomercury, organotin, and organolead, which all share the same characteristics of being persistent, toxic, bioaccumulative, and able to travel long distances through different media. The adverse health effects of some of the emerging chemicals like pentabromodiphenyl ether, bisphenol A, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which are widely used in daily appliances (e.g., TVs, computers, mobile phones, plastic baby bottles), have become a public health concern due to more evidence now available showing their adverse effects like disturbance of the endocrine system and cancer. This article is an attempt to review the current status of PTS in our environment, citing case studies in China and North America, and whether our existing drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment processes are adequate in removing them from water. Some management issues of these emerging chemicals of concern are also discussed.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0048-7554 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2012-0040 ID - ref1 ER -