- Email: [email protected]
Persistent pollutants in marine ecosystems
Journal°of Contaminant Hydrology, 14 (1993) 89-90
89
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam
Book Review
Persistent Pollutants in Marine Ecosystems, edited by Colin H. Walker and David R. Livingstone. Special publication of SETAC. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1992, xii + 272pp., ISBN 0-08-041874-0. Price: UK £45.00 (hardcover).
In five parts a summary is given of the knowledge of persistent pollutants in marine ecosystems at different levels in the food web by renowned scientists. The different parts are again divided into 1 3 chapters. The sixth part is an overview of the 5 chapters of the book. It is remarkable that the higher one gets in the food web from bacteria to fish, marine mammals and birds the more knowledge is gathered the last 20 years, This is also reflected in the amount of co-authors for the different parts: invertebrates and bacteria only 1 author per chapter, for marine mammals up to 11 authors for 2 chapters. This distribution of authors indicates also the general problem of persistent pollutants in marine ecosystems: the effects are clearly reflected in long-living organism and top predators. However, the general trend is that the effects are measurable at sub-lethal level in all kind of organisms, but difficult to attribute to one or a distinct group of compounds. From the 100,000 or more pollutants (in the book no clear definition or description is given for pollutants) the chlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) are described in extenso compared to for instance chlorophenols, toxaphene and chlordane. It is remarkable that Renzoni starts its chapter with metals: "are metals also persistent pollutants?" In most chapters the authors give an overview of their own work in their own marine or estuarine area of science discipline and in addition some remarks to work of colleagues: most of the chapters are descriptive. Halfway the book, a good overview, a state of the art, of the interaction of PCB's and enzyme systems in marine mammals is given in Chapter 6. In general, the result is that an enormous amount of knowledge have been gathered about the levels of some persistent pollutants in the marine environment, and knowledge on the sub-lethal effects in organisms and populations.
90
aoo~. REVIEW
The book give especially a good overview through the different chapters about the interactions between organic pollutants and enzyme systems in marine organisms. The book is meant to give a foundation of the understanding of the behaviour of persistent hydrophobic organic pollutants in the marine environment. In the preface a definition is given for persistent pollutants: substances which have a long half-live in sediments, water and marine organisms and their effects can be insidious and have a long-term effect. However, in the book nothing is said on what is meant by long half-live times and effects on the long term. What are the effects of the accumulation of persistent pollutants in the oceans? None of the authors, not even in the last part of the book, put forward new insights into possible remedial measures that must be taken to solve the main problems caused by persistent pollutants in the marine environment. It appears that the study on the interaction between organic pollutants and organisms at the cellular level is a scientific problem on its own and not an environmental problem any more. I must assume that all authors will be aware of the fact that the oceans are the ultimate sink of persistent pollutants. They also know from their own studies that in coastal waters effects on for instance reproduction of seals and birds have been measured and ascribed to organic pollutants. International and national measures have been taken to reduce the input of PCB's and other harmful compounds to the aquatic environment for at least with 50%. The amount of reductions established purely a political choice based on the signals from scientists. It is now up to the scientists to tell how far reduction measures must be performed to secure, from a chemical point of view, to the society a sustainable development of the marine ecosystems. R.W.P.M LAANE (The Hague)
89
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam
Book Review
Persistent Pollutants in Marine Ecosystems, edited by Colin H. Walker and David R. Livingstone. Special publication of SETAC. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1992, xii + 272pp., ISBN 0-08-041874-0. Price: UK £45.00 (hardcover).
In five parts a summary is given of the knowledge of persistent pollutants in marine ecosystems at different levels in the food web by renowned scientists. The different parts are again divided into 1 3 chapters. The sixth part is an overview of the 5 chapters of the book. It is remarkable that the higher one gets in the food web from bacteria to fish, marine mammals and birds the more knowledge is gathered the last 20 years, This is also reflected in the amount of co-authors for the different parts: invertebrates and bacteria only 1 author per chapter, for marine mammals up to 11 authors for 2 chapters. This distribution of authors indicates also the general problem of persistent pollutants in marine ecosystems: the effects are clearly reflected in long-living organism and top predators. However, the general trend is that the effects are measurable at sub-lethal level in all kind of organisms, but difficult to attribute to one or a distinct group of compounds. From the 100,000 or more pollutants (in the book no clear definition or description is given for pollutants) the chlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) are described in extenso compared to for instance chlorophenols, toxaphene and chlordane. It is remarkable that Renzoni starts its chapter with metals: "are metals also persistent pollutants?" In most chapters the authors give an overview of their own work in their own marine or estuarine area of science discipline and in addition some remarks to work of colleagues: most of the chapters are descriptive. Halfway the book, a good overview, a state of the art, of the interaction of PCB's and enzyme systems in marine mammals is given in Chapter 6. In general, the result is that an enormous amount of knowledge have been gathered about the levels of some persistent pollutants in the marine environment, and knowledge on the sub-lethal effects in organisms and populations.
90
aoo~. REVIEW
The book give especially a good overview through the different chapters about the interactions between organic pollutants and enzyme systems in marine organisms. The book is meant to give a foundation of the understanding of the behaviour of persistent hydrophobic organic pollutants in the marine environment. In the preface a definition is given for persistent pollutants: substances which have a long half-live in sediments, water and marine organisms and their effects can be insidious and have a long-term effect. However, in the book nothing is said on what is meant by long half-live times and effects on the long term. What are the effects of the accumulation of persistent pollutants in the oceans? None of the authors, not even in the last part of the book, put forward new insights into possible remedial measures that must be taken to solve the main problems caused by persistent pollutants in the marine environment. It appears that the study on the interaction between organic pollutants and organisms at the cellular level is a scientific problem on its own and not an environmental problem any more. I must assume that all authors will be aware of the fact that the oceans are the ultimate sink of persistent pollutants. They also know from their own studies that in coastal waters effects on for instance reproduction of seals and birds have been measured and ascribed to organic pollutants. International and national measures have been taken to reduce the input of PCB's and other harmful compounds to the aquatic environment for at least with 50%. The amount of reductions established purely a political choice based on the signals from scientists. It is now up to the scientists to tell how far reduction measures must be performed to secure, from a chemical point of view, to the society a sustainable development of the marine ecosystems. R.W.P.M LAANE (The Hague)