Environmental fate and toxicology of octachlorostyrene, a highly bioaccumulative industrial and incineration byproduct
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Paul, MN (United States)
- Merritt, Furber and Timmer, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
Octachlorostyrene (OCS) is a lipophilic compound that has no known commercial uses. OCS is formed as a byproduct of numerous combustion and non-combustion processes and has been found as a contaminant in waste materials. Available evidence indicates that OCS is readily formed from numerous short chain aliphatic or aromatic compounds in the presence of a heat source and chlorine. OCS bioaccumulates in aquatic animals with a highest reported fish BAF of 1,929,615. OCS has been found in human blood in persons consuming OCS-contaminated fish and living near industrial sources of the compound, in occupationally exposed individuals, and in blood and adipose tissue of persons throughout Canada. OCS residues have been found in birds, freshwater mussels, fish, insects, cows milk, snapping turtles, coral reef organisms, water samples, plant tissues, sediments and soils. Animal toxicology studies on OCS are limited, but are sufficient to generate preliminary drinking water health advisory concentrations, wildlife flesh criteria, and fish consumption health advisories. Early analysis of available OCS chemistry, monitoring and residue data indicates that OCS may be produced at the same time as HCB and that HCB might be a useful chemical marker to indicate the possible presence of OCS in environmental media.
- OSTI ID:
- 40067
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Bioaccumulation of organochlorines in the Arctic marine food web
Quantification of octachlorostyrene and related compounds in Great Lakes fish by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry