[Pharmwaste] New pollutants overtaking 'dirty dozen' in North, scientist warns

[DeBiasi,Deborah]

New pollutants overtaking 'dirty dozen' in North, scientist warns

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/06/26/north-pollutants.html

The Arctic is being polluted by newer, hard-to-detect chemicals that are
overtaking toxins that have been in the North for years, a Canadian
researcher says.

Modern-day toxins have escaped detection by environmental monitoring
systems, said Scott Mabury, an environmental chemist at the University
of Toronto.

Mabury's research group has already measured the presence of
perflourinated chemicals - which include compounds used to repel water
and oil - finding that quantities of those chemicals equal or exceed the
amounts of toxins that have existed in the North for decades.

"The amount of these particular pollutants, these fluorinated pollutants
that are in the Arctic and certainly high up in the food chain, was a
surprise because they now rival or exceed most of the other pollutants
that have been around for decades," such as DDT and PCBs, Mabury told
CBC News on Monday.

Perflourinated chemicals, which are often found in stain-resistant
carpeting, water-resistant clothing, electronics and industrial goods,
have been linked to cancer and other problems affecting the immune
system.

In general, toxins migrate to the North via the atmosphere or water
currents. In 2004, governments restricted the use of organic pollutants
known as the "dirty dozen" - including DDT, PCBs (polychlorinated
biphenyls) and dioxins - under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants.

Mabury's research team has found perfluorinated chemicals in the Devon
ice cap, as well as in the water, air and wildlife in the North, and
said those pollutants should also be restricted. They tend to stay in
the environment for a long time and move up the food chain, he added.

In addition to perflourinated chemicals, Maybury said he believes there
are other, newer chemical compounds - also found in consumer and
industrial goods - that are drifting to the Arctic but have not been
detected by standard screening methods.

He said researchers will have to find newer and better ways to detect
such toxins in the environment.

"There are a number of compounds used in industrial and consumer goods
that haven't acquired much attention, some of which we think could be
highly persistent and potentially of environmental importance."

Birgit Braune, a research scientist with Environment Canada, agreed that
newer pollutants now in the North need to be restricted under
international agreements.

"I definitely feel that we should pursue this and it is being pursued
even as we speak, so there is action being taken," she said.

Braune added there should also be tighter controls over chemicals in
consumer and industrial goods before they go to market.



Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email:   dldebiasi at deq.virginia.gov
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Permit Programs
Industrial Pretreatment/Toxics Management Program
Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218 (NEW!)
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219
PH:         804-698-4028
FAX:      804-698-4032