Toxic pollutants – Antifouling paints,

DDT & Dioxins

Toxic Pollutants : Toxic pollution is contaminated water, soil, and air that is harmful or
poisonous. It includes industrial wastes like toxic heavy metals from mining or chemicals from
factories, and also sewage and particulates from power plants. The term “toxic” is used to
differentiate it from pollution that comes from increased levels of carbon dioxide, which causes
climate change but does not have direct health impacts.

Toxic pollutants can poison drinking water, the fish in rivers and ponds, food grown on
contaminated farmland, as well as playgrounds, homes, and the very air we breathe.

In fact, toxic pollution is the largest cause of death in the world. Yet it is one of the most
underreported and underfunded global problems.

Pollution comes in many forms, and it affects people differently, sometimes in ways that may not
be immediately noticeable. That is why some people call toxic pollution “the invisible killer."

Often diseases brought on by exposure to toxic pollution are thought to be caused by something
else. And in many cases, the poison accumulates and damages bodies for years before it gets
noticed. Women and children are especially at risk.

Pollution can cause birth defects and irreversible developmental and neurological disabilities,
and immune system damage. Pollution causes various cancers, heart and lung diseases, to name
just a few. Comparatively, death by pollution is larger than any other major cause. Often whole
communities are affected, and economic growth impaired as well through degradation of human
and natural resources.
More than one in seven deaths in the world are pollution-related. From contaminated sites alone,
toxic pollution affects the health of more than 200 million people worldwide. Urban air pollution
affects an even higher number of people. Overall, pollution kills three times more people than
HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Most of this impact is in low- and middle-income countries. Exposure to polluted soil, water and
air (both indoor and outdoor) resulted in 8.4 million deaths in 2012 in these countries. They
represent 94% of the burden of disease from pollution. While most affected, low- and middle-
income countries are the least equipped to deal with the problem. The poisoned poor cannot
afford to move or clean up their toxic communities, so the health impact is great.

The majority of acutely toxic contaminated sites are caused by small local businesses, many of
them operating without the technology, knowledge or incentives to avoid polluting. Abandoned
sites, such as polluting factories that have shut down operations, are also quite common. In these
sites, the sources of the pollution may be gone, but the contamination remains. We call this
legacy pollution.

One of the worst causes of toxic pollution is the recycling of used lead-acid batteries. This
happens in almost every city in low and middle-income countries. It is a crucial source of income
for families, who recycle the batteries by hand, breaking them up and processing them in their
homes, kitchens or backyards. This is so common that we believe toxic lead is the childhood
environmental health threat globally.
Sources :

 Antifouling Paints
 DDT
 Dioxins
 Heavy Metals
 Arsenic
 Chromium etc

Antifouling Paints : Anti-fouling paint a category of commercially available underwater hull

paints (also known as bottom paints) - is a specialized category of coatings applied as the outer
(outboard) layer to the hull of a ship or boat, to slow the growth and/or facilitate detachment of
subaquatic organisms that attach to the hull and can affect a vessel's performance and durability
(see also biofouling). Anti-fouling paints are often applied as one component of multi-layer
coating systems. Which may have other functions in addition to their antifouling properties, such
as acting as a barrier against corrosion on metal hulls that will degrade and weaken the metal, or
improving the flow of water past the hull of a fishing vessel or high-performance racing yacht.

Anti fouling is the process of removing or preventing the accumulation of marine organisms
from the surface of hull and the paint used for this application is called anti fouling paint.

Most antifouling bottom paints contain cupreous oxide which is a neurotoxin Other neurotoxins
used in the past have been banned worldwide because of their destructive effects on marine life.
Of all the copper compounds, cupreous oxide is the most deadly.
The ideal time for boat maintenance is winter. But I know that many boat owners put off the job
until the good weather, especially do-it-yourself painters.

Even though the painting and maintenance jobs may be done outdoors, marine paints and
preservatives can be harmful to human health. To make matters more complicated, the newer
products may be safer but sanding or stripping off the old stuff may expose you to many coats of
unknown substances.

Boat bottom paints contain pesticide ingredients intended to prevent barnacles, seaweed and
other organisms from growing on boats, docks, bouys and other underwater structures. The most
common active pesticides in use are copper compounds and tributyltin (TBT) formulations.
Since March 1990, the application of TBT to non-aluminum vessels less than 82 feet in length
has been prohibited. Only certified applicators may purchase and apply these paints, with one
exception. A 16-ounce spray container of TBT paint may be used on aluminum motors or lower
drive units. Only this size and use is approved for purchase and use by noncertified persons.

The regulations suggest that these materials are hazardous. They are certainly designed to inhibit
organic growth and they do this by continuously releasing a small amount of the toxic ingredient
into the water. The system works well if you're a boat.

Unfortunately, the other non-target plants and critters are affected by the poisons, too. Abnormal
development and reduced reproduction rates have been found in oysters, clams and snails in a
marine environment with only a few parts-per-trillion of TBT. Copper is somewhat less harmful.

The highest concentrations of these materials are found around large marinas. Marinas are
usually sited where wind and wave action is minimal and this inhibits the dilution and natural
mixing which would occur with wind and waves.

There are also repair facilities, some specifically designed for do-it-yourselfers, around marinas
and these activities add to the load.
There are few alternatives to the present selection of anti-fouling paints. However, the danger to
both the applicator and environment can be reduced by following these directions from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency:

> Be careful when removing the old paint from a boat that has been in the water most of the
time. Assume that the old paint contains harmful materials. Wear a respirator when sanding and
keep the paint sandings and chips out of the water.

> Choose a copper-only paint. Scrubbing the bottom periodically will extend the life of this
material so that it might not be necessary to paint every year.

> Paint with a brush or roller if possible as it provides more control over the paint spread.
Always minimize possible exposure when painting by wearing long sleeves, long pants, a hat,
chemical-resistant gloves, and goggles. If spraying, wear a respirator.

If painting in an enclosed area, keep windows and doors open. Follow the safety directions
concerning open flame on the paint container.

After the job is done, wash with soap and water and launder your work clothes separately from
the other family laundry.

Sweep up all paint chips and sanding dust and double bag them for the trash. Any leftover paint
you will not use must be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Round-up in September.
Never wash paint, paint sandings, or solvents into the sewer or storm drain. It would then
eventually end up in Puget Sound, which is exactly what we're trying to avoid.

DDT : Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and

almost odorless crystalline chemical compound an organochlorine. Originally developed as an
insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts.
 Properties

Chemical formula C14H9Cl5

Molar mass 354.48 g·mol−1

Density 0.99 g/cm3

Melting point 108.5 °C (227.3 °F; 381.6 K)

Boiling point 260 °C (500 °F; 533 K) (decomposes)

[1]
Solubility in water 25 μg/L (25 °C)

Why was DDT used?

•DDT was initiallyused by the military in WW II to control malaria, typhus, body lice, and
bubonic plague. Cases of malaria fell from 400,000 in 1946 to virtually none in 1950. DDT is
still used today in South America, Africa, and Asia for thispurpose.

•Farmers used DDT on a variety of food crops in the United States and worldwide. DDT was
also used in buildings for pestcontrol.

•The reason why DDT was so widely used was because it is effective, relatively inexpensive to
manufacture, and lasts a long time in the environment

Is DDT still used?

•DDT was canceled because it persists in the environment, accumulates in fatty tissues, and can
cause adverse health effects on wildlife (4). In addition, resistance occurs in some insects (like
the house fly) who develop the ability to quickly metabolize the DDT.

How does DDT work?

•DDT affects the nervous system by interfering with normal nerve impulses
How toxic is DDT?

Animals

•DDT is slightly to moderately acutely toxic to mammals, including people, if eaten. See box on
LaboratoryTesting.

•DDT is poorly absorbed through mammalian skin, but it is easily absorbed through an insect’s
outercovering known asan exoskeleton.

•Laboratory animals exposed to

DDTdevelop hyperexcitabiliy,
tremors, incoordination, and
convulsions. See boxes on
Toxicity Category and
LD50/LC50.

•Animals given potentially fatal

doses of DDT develop liver
lesions and those given DDT
over a long period of time
develop liver changes.

Humans

•People exposed to DDT while working with the chemical or by accidental exposure report a
prickling sensation of the mouth, nausea, dizziness, confusion, headache, lethargy,
incoordination, vomiting, fatigue, and tremors.
Does DDT cause reproductive or birth effects?

Animals

•Dogs fed DDT in low doses do not have reproductive effects(1).•Rats become sterile after being
fed DDT.

•Mice fed low levels of DDT have embryos that fail to attach to the uterus and irregular
reproductive cycles (6). The offspring of mice fed DDT have a higher mortality rate.

•One of the breakdown products of DDT, DDE3, causes thinning of eggshells in birds.

Humans

•Scientists have no data indicating DDT causes reproductive problems or birth defects inhumans.

Does DDT cause cancer?

Animals

•Mammals exposed to DDT develop liver tumors and have an increased risk of liver tumors.

•In one study where female and male mice consumed dosesof DDT for life, the males were twice
as likely to develop liver tumors.

Humans

•The EPA has categorized DDT as a B2 carcinogen. This means that DDT has been shown to
cause cancer in laboratory animals, but there is inadequate or no evidence which shows that it
may cause cancer in humans.

•A group of workers studied for 19 years employed at a DDT manufacturing facility did not
develop cancer(1).•Studies have shown that there is no correlation between an increased risk of
breast cancer in women exposed to DDT.
Does DDT accumulate in humans?

Fat Stores

•DDT tends to accumulate in the fatty tissues of insects, wildlife, and people, but produces no
known toxic effects while it is stored in the fat.

•DDT is metabolized into various breakdown products in the body including DDE, DDD4,
andDDA5.•When fat stores are used during periods of starvation the breakdown products of
DDT are released into the blood where they may be toxic to the liver and the nervous system.

•Once DDT has accumulated in the body, it is excreted in the urine, feces, or breast milk. Breast
milk is often used to measure a population’s exposure toDDT.

Biomagnification

•Because of DDT’s chemical properties it has the tendency to accumulate in animals. As animals
lower on the food chain are eaten by other animals higher up, DDT becomes concentrated in the
fatty tissues of predators. This continues until the primary predator of the food chain receives the
highest dose, which may lead to adverse health effects. Once the use of DDT was discontinued
in the U.S., itsconcentration in the environment and animals decreased.

What happens to DDT in the environment?

•DDT is highly persistent in the environment. The soil half-life for DDT is from 2 to 15 years.

•The half-life of DDT in an aquatic environment is about 150 years.

What effects does DDT have on wildlife?

•DDT is slightly to moderately toxic to birds when eaten. DDE decreases the reproductive rate of
birds by causing eggshell thinning and embryo deaths.

•DDT is highly toxic to aquatic animals. DDT affects various systems in aquatic animals
including theheart and brain.

•DDT is highly toxic to fish . Fish have a poor ability to detect DDT in water.

•DDT moderately toxic to amphibians like frogs, toads, and salamanders. Immature amphibians
are more sensitiveto the effects of DDT than adults.
Dioxins : Dioxins are a group of highly toxic chemical compounds that are harmful to health.
They can cause problems with reproduction, development, and the immune system. They can
also disrupt hormones and lead to cancer. Known as persistent environmental pollutants (POPs),
dioxins can remain in the environment for many years. Dioxins are a group of highly toxic
chemical compounds that are harmful to health. They can cause problems with reproduction,
development, and the immune system. They can also disrupt hormones and lead to cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous chemicals that are everywhere in the environment.

Burning processes, such as commercial or municipal waste incineration, backyard burning, and
the use of fuels, such as wood, coal, or oil, produce dioxins.

The compounds then collect in high concentrations in soils and sediments. Plants, water, and air
all contain low levels of dioxins.

When dioxins enter the food chain, they are stored in animal fats. Over 90 percent of human
exposure to dioxins comes through food, mainly animal products, such as dairy, meat, fish, and
shellfish.

Once consumed, dioxins can stay in the body

for a long time. They are stable chemicals,
which means they do not break down. Once in
the body, it may take between 7 and 11 years
for a dioxin’s radioactivity to fall to half its
original level.

Sources

Volcanoes, forest fires, and other natural sources have always given off dioxins, but in the 20th
century, industrial practices have caused the levels to rise dramatically.

Human activities that produce dioxins include:

 burning household trash

 chlorine bleaching of pulp and paper

 production of pesticides and herbicides and other chemical processes

 dismantling and recycling electronic products

Cigarette smoke also contains small amounts of dioxins.

Drinking water can contain dioxins if it has been contaminated by chemical waste from factories,
or by other industrial processes.

Types

There are several hundred dioxins, and they belong to three closely related families.

These are:

 chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs)

 chlorinated dibenzofurans (CDFs)

 some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

CDDs and CDFs are not created intentionally. They are produced inadvertently by human
activities or because of natural processes.

PCBs are manufactured products, but they are no longer made in the United States (U.S.).

Sometimes the term dioxin is also used to refer to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD),

one of the most toxic dioxins. TCDD has been linked to the herbicide Agent Orange, which was
used during the Vietnam War to strip the leaves from trees.

In the environment?

Dioxins decompose slowly in the environment.

When released into the air, some dioxins may be transported long distances. Because of this, they
are present almost everywhere in the world.

When dioxins are released into water, they tend to settle into sediments. They can also be further
transported or swallowed by fish and other organisms.

Dioxins may be concentrated in the food chain so that animals have higher concentrations than
plants, water, soil, or sediments. In animals, dioxins tend to accumulate in fat.

Health risks

Apart from naturally produced dioxins, industrial processes led to a dramatic rise in levels of
manmade dioxins in the environment during the 20th century. As a result, most people will have
some level of dioxin in their body.

Studies have shown that exposure to dioxins may cause adverse health effects, including
hormonal problems, infertility, cancer, and possibly diabetes.
High levels of exposure over a short time can lead to chloracne. This is a severe skin disease
with acne-like lesions mainly on the face and upper body. This can happen if there is an accident
or a significant contamination event.

Other effects include:

 skin rashes

 skin discoloration

 excessive body hair

 mild liver damage

Long-term exposure appears to impact the developing nervous system, and in the endocrine and
reproductive systems.

Studies have suggested that workplace exposure to high levels of dioxins over many years may
increase the risk of cancer.

The risks to health depend on a variety of factors, including:

 the level of exposure

 when someone was exposed

 how long and how often they were exposed

Studies on animals also suggest that exposure to low levels of dioxins over a long time, or a
high-level exposure at sensitive times, might result in reproductive or developmental problems.

Problems that have been linked to dioxins exposure include:

 birth defects

 inability to maintain pregnancy

 decreased fertility

 reduced sperm count

 endometriosis

 learning disabilities

 immune system suppression

 lung problems
  skin disorders

 lowered testosterone levels

 ischemic heart disease

 type 2 diabetes

However, normal background exposure is not believed to be hazardous.