• Insecticides and industrial by-products produce organic chemical pollutants.pollution image by Joseph Chiapputo from Fotolia.com
  
  Organic chemical pollutants contain materials capable of passing through the plant-animal food chain. Commonly known as persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, these chemicals can be found in insecticides, industrial materials and as by-products within the environment. The chemical make-up of POPs enables them to linger and accumulate within living organisms and the environment for long periods of time.
  
  

Insecticide Pollutants

• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) became a common ingredient in many commercial products during World War II as the demand for manufactured products surged. POPs found widespread use in agricultural to protect crops from insects and disease-causing organisms. Some of the insecticide chemicals used include DDT, dechlorane, dieldrin and HCH. It was soon discovered that organic chemical pesticides were linked to numerous health effects in people as a result of their lingering presence in the food chain. Health effects associated with POPs include birth defects, immune and respiratory system disorders and hormonal disorders. Most of these chemicals have since been banned in the United States, though the use of DDT continues in tropical environments as a means to prevent insects from spreading diseases to humans.
  
  

Industrial Pollutants

• Industrial organic chemical pollutants fall within the "intentionally produced" category of pollutants because of their use in industrial products. These materials contain chemical pollutants called PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, that carry the heat and acid-resistant properties needed in products used for electrical or automotive purposes. PCBs are used in products such as electrical transformers, hydraulic fluids, paint additives and lubricants. Under certain conditions, products made with PCBs can distill pollutants into the air and soil and ultimately contaminate the atmosphere and food supplies. In effect, industrial pollutants maintain their chemical properties over long periods of time, which enables them to linger and accumulate in air and soil environments.
  
  

By-Product Pollutants

• By-product pollutants fall within the "unintentionally produced" category of organic chemical pollutants since they appear as by-products of other processes. The manufacture of plastic, or PVC materials and treatments used on paper and textiles, produces dioxins, a category of organic chemical pollutants. While dioxins typically take the form of gases, these gases can settle in water and soil environments and bind with soil and water molecules. When this happens, marine animals as well as those that eat plants can accumulate organic chemical pollutants in their bodies. Their effects within the food chain become more pronounced in animals that eat other animals. Since these materials accumulate inside living organisms, the highest concentrations of pollutants develop at the top of the food chain. By-product pollutants also result from the combustion of certain materials, such as trash, medical waste, municipal waste and even cigarette smoke.