Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
included.in.the.Stockholm.Convention's.list.of.chemicals.given.the.increasing.
evidence.presented.in.recent.research.works.that.shows.their.adverse.effects.
on.the.environment.and.human.health..Like.PBDEs,.there.are.other.chemicals.
that. have. not. been. tested. fully. concerning. their. long-term. ecotoxicological,.
biological,.and.human.health.effects.before.launching.the.products.contain-
ing.these.chemicals.into.markets..Listed.in.the.following.are.some.of.the.com-
mon.emerging.chemicals.that.have.received.increasing.public.attention.
Bisphenol A
Bisphenol.A.is.used.as.an.intermediate.in.the.production.of.polycarbonate.
plastics. and. epoxy. resins. and. is. widely. used. in. all. daily. products. such. as.
digital.media.(such.as.CDs,.DVDs),.electronic.equipment,.automobiles,.con-
struction. materials,. plastic. bottles. (including. baby. bottles),. children's. toy,.
food.storage.containers,.and.so.on..Epoxy.resins.are.also.applied.as.interna-
tional.coating.for.cans.that.protects.food.and.drink.from.direct.contact.with.
metals.. There. is. a. genuine. concern. about. the. endocrine. effects. of. BPA. on.
humans,.based.on.animal.data..Given.the.fact.that.South.China.has.become.a.
power.house.for.manufacturing.electronic.equipment.and.other.daily.appli-
ances.containing.BPA,.their.possible.release.of.toxic.materials.into.the.envi-
ronment.should.not.be.overlooked.(Huang.et.al..2011).
Phthalates
Phthalates.are.added.to.plastics.to.strengthen.their.lexibility,.transparency,.
and. durability,. in. a. number. of. products,. such. as. coatings. of. pharmaceuti-
cal.pills.and.nutritional.supplements,.and.stabilizers,.dispersants,.lubricants,.
and.adhesives.in.various.industrial.usages..The.concern.for.human.uptake.
is. mainly. derived. from. its. use. in. food. packaging. and. processing. (such. as.
gloves. used. in. food. handling).. It. is. known. that. phthalates. interfere. with.
androgen.production.and.thereby.affect.male.reproduction.(Lomenick.et.al..
2009)..It.is.extremely.alarming.to.ind.out.that.phthalates.have.been.added.
to. drinks. and. syrups. (used.in. drugs). as.cloudy. agents. illegally.(May. 2011).
instead.of.edible.oil.for.30-40.years.in.Taiwan,.which.may.link.to.the.inding.
that.Taiwan.is.one.of.the.regions.in.the.world.with.a.very.low.birthrate.(8.9.
births/1000,.2010.estimation).(Central.Intelligence.Agency.2011).
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
This.group.of.chemicals.includes.more.than.3000.different.chemicals.used.
as. medicines. (painkillers,. antibiotics,. contraceptives,. lipid. regulators,. tran-
quilizers,.impotence.drugs).and.personal.care.products.(dental.care.and.hair.
care. products,. soaps,. sunscreen. lotions,. etc.). (Ternes. et. al.. 2004),. with. anti-
biotics. being. the. largest. single. group. of. drugs. traded. in. developing. coun-
tries.(WHO.2001)..In.general,.municipal.sewage.is.the.major.source.of.most.
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