REPORT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Chemical Watch, Feb 2017: In February 2017, the rather specialised topic of persistent organic pollutants captured the attention of the global media. A study led by Dr Jamieson of Newcastle University, published in Nature, Economy and Evolution, was the focus of interest. It found staggering levels of polychlorinated-biphenyl (PCB) in amphipods living between 7- 10,000m below sea level in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana trench. What was previously considered to be a pristine environment, unaffected by human beings, is now known to contain living organisms with some of the highest PCB concentrations. Measured by researchers these were close to 1,900 nanograms (ng) per gram of tissue analysed, dwarfing concentrations of PCB concentrations in clean coastal environments (1ng), or in polluted areas like the Liao rivers in China (100ng).

Read More: https://chemicalwatch.com/53837/2017-outlook-unep-on-advancing-the-chemicals-agenda