Organic anthropogenic

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) ai e toxic compounds of anthropogenous origin, able to accumulate in tissues of alive organisms and to cause different diseases. These compounds ai e the most dangerous for aquatic ecosystems as they easily adsorb in sludge and ai e included in food chains of biota. Humans consume PCBs and OCPs mostly with fish. 

Both contamination and pollution entail the perturbation of the natural state of the environment by anthropogenic activity. The two terms are distinguishable by the severity of the effect pollution induces the loss of potential resources. Additionally, a clear cause-effect relationship must be established for a substance to be classified as a pollutant towards a particular organism. 

Figure 1. Conceptual model illustrating examples of major anthropogenic contaminant sources and contaminants, their distribution within the abiotic environmental media, their movement into biota with potential food chain contamination, and potential effects at the organismal, population, conmiunity and ecosystem level of organization.

Currently available CRMs Calibrants are available for TBT (very evident, as TBT is an anthropogenic contaminant) and for a number of other organic tin compounds. There is also an interesting choice of environmental CRMs (sediment and mussel tissue) certified for TBT content. 

Bentivenga, G., D Auria, M., Fedeli, P., MaurieUo, G., and Racioppi, R. (2004). SPME-GC-MS analysis of volatile organic compounds in honey from Basilicata. Evidence or the presence of pollutants from anthropogenic activities. Int. J. Food Sci. Technol. 39,1079-1086. 

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