Polychlorinated biphenyls environmental fate

Highly halogenated organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls and perchloroethylene appear to be too highly oxidised and low in energy content to serve as sources of electrons and energy for microbial metabolism. Bacteria are more likely to use them as electron acceptors in cell-membrane-based respiration processes [154]. The environmental fate of halogenated polymers such as polyvinylchloride or Teflon may depend on the question of whether it will be appropriate to sustain de-halorespiration processes. 

Mackay, D., W.-Y. Shiu, and K.C. Ma. 1992a. Illustrated Handbook of Physical - Chemical Properties and Environmental Fate of Organic Compounds. I. Monoaromatic Hydrocarbons, Chlorobenzenes and Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, 697 pages. 

Ongoing Studies on Environmental Fate and Treatment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls... 

The predominating factors in terms of the environmental fate of a chemical when spilled are its physicochemical properties as well as the location of the spill and weather conditions in the area. PCBs are transported by air, water, insects, fish, birds, and humans and are deposited by rain, snow, and dry fallout. Polychlorinated biphenyls have been detected in all comers of the globe and in almost every medium, including soil, air, sediment, water, human milk, fish, seagulls, meat, and even polar bears. 

It is suggested that when assessing the environmental fate or toxicity of organic chemicals, especially those of congeneric series, such as PCBs, it is useful to gather and critically review their basic properties including solubility, vapour pressure, octanol/water partition coefficient and Henry s law constant. This approach is illustrated for three series of chemicals, the chlorobenzenes, the polychlorinated biphenyls and the chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. 

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