Organochlorine Compounds As Polutants
Some organochlorine compounds are serious pollutants. These are produced either as side products of industrial processes or as end products which are persistent in the environment, such as certain chlorinated pesticides and chlorofluorocarbons. Chlorine is added both to pesticides and pharmaceuticals to make the molecules more resistant to enzymatic degradation by bacteria, insects, and mammals, but this property also has the effect of prolonging the residence time of these compounds when they enter the environment. In this respect chlorinated organics have some resemblance to fluorinated organics.
Read more about this topic: Chlorine
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