Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact

Toxic organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and brominated and organophosphorus flame retardants are released through industrial processes, combustion, and consumer products, and they persist in the environment long after their original source has disappeared. Once in soil, water, or air, these compounds accumulate through food chains, reaching concentrations in animal tissue and human blood that can disrupt hormone signaling, damage DNA, and trigger cancer through mechanisms including activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Researchers in this area work to trace exposure pathways from environmental reservoirs to human populations, quantify dose-response relationships, and distinguish the effects of individual compounds from those of the complex mixtures people actually encounter. Open questions include how low-level chronic exposures interact with genetic susceptibility to produce disease decades later, and whether emerging flame-retardant substitutes carry similar or unforeseen toxicological risks.

Works

108,299

Total citations

2,451,503

Keywords

Polycyclic Aromatic HydrocarbonsBrominated Flame RetardantsAryl Hydrocarbon ReceptorOrganophosphorus Flame RetardantsDioxins and Dioxin-Like CompoundsBioaccumulation