The Enantioselective Toxicities of Chiral Pollutants

As discussed above, enantiomers of chiral pollutants may have different toxicities to biota, but some reports have been published indicating more toxicities of the racemic mixture in comparison to the pure enantiomers, which may be due to the catalytic properties of one enantiomer with respect to another. The concept of chirality has been explored to a greater extent in drugs and pharmaceuticals but, unfortunately, the enantioselective toxicities of the chiral pollutants have not been fully investigated in detail. Because of the different toxicities of the enantiomers, data on the toxicity of the racemic pollutant are not reliable. Therefore, it is essential to explore the enantioselective hazardous effects and toxicities of chiral pollutants. Moreover, the already existing data on the hazardous effects and toxicities of chiral pollutants should be modified in terms of the enantioselective toxicities. 

In the aquatic enviromnent, a number of other chiral pollutants are available and they differ in their enantioselective toxicities. Tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin (Figure 4.13) are the best examples of this. Tetrodotoxin... 

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