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Should the production and use of chlorine and all chlorinated organic compounds be halted, in view of their adverse effects on the environment and human health? Those in favour argue that certain chlorinated compounds (PCBs, DDT, CFCs, etc.) have large negative environmental effects. The use of chlorine in disinfectants leads to the production of chloroform, while bulk products (PVC) contribute to the production of chlorinated dibenzo-<em>p-dioxins and dibenzofurans when they are burned. Those against argue that chlorine and many chlorinated compounds are essential in the control of human health (the prevention of disease transmitted through drinking water that has not been disinfected), and that chlorinated compounds are indispensable intermediates in many production processes, representing a vast economic value. But such discussions often ignore the fact that Nature contributes significantly to the production of chlorinated organic compounds. More than 1000 such compounds are known, and their contribution to the biogeochemical cycling of chlorine is underestimated. Chlorine is organically bound in large quantities to humic materials, and natural production mechanisms are known for low molecular weight compounds (methyl chloride, chloroform, chlorinated dibenzo-<em>p-dioxins and dibenzofurans). The role of these compounds in the environment is largely unknown. <em>Naturally-Produced Organohalogens gives a complete overview of the present state of knowledge on the subject, giving a much needed balance to the argument sketched out above.
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NATURALLY-PRODUCED ORGANOHALOGENS ENVIRONMENT & CHEMISTRY VOLUME 1 Naturally-Produced Organohalogens edited by Anders Grimvall LinkOping University, LinkOping, Sweden and Ed W.B. de Leer TNO Institute of Environmental Sciences, Delft, The Netherlands SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS, MEDIA, B.V. A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 978-94-010-4032-7 ISBN 978-94-011-0061-8 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-0061-8 Printed an acid-free paper AII Rights Reserved © 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Origina11y published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1995 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 1995 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permis sion from the copyright owner. The organisation of the International Conference on Natural-Produced Organohalogens has been made possible by financial contributions from: National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection P.O. Box 1 3720 BA BILTHOVEN The Netherlands NBM-Bodemsanering BV P.O. Box 16032 2500 BA DEN HAAG The Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment Directorate-General for Environmental Protection P.O. Box 30945 2500 GX DEN HAAG The Netherlands Ned. Vereniging van Zeepfabrikanten Waterigeweg 31 3703 CM ZEIST The Netherlands Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management Directorate-General for Water Management, Directorate North Sea P.O. Box 5870 2280 HV RIJSWIJK The Netherlands Euroglas Voltaweg 22 2627 BC DELFT The Netherlands TNO Environmental and Energy Research P.O. Box 6010 2600 JA DELFT The Netherlands Campro Scientific B.V. Postbus 316 3900 AH VEENENDAAL The Netherlands Euro Chlor Federation Avenue E. van Nieuwenhuyse 4, Box 2 B-1160 BRUSSEL Belgium Contents List of sponsors Preface v xiii Chapter 1 General introduction and overview articles Evidence of naturally produced and man-made organohaloge