Airborne Menace Unveiled: Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in North America
Researchers Successfully Detect Airborne Toxic Substance in the Western Hemisphere for the First Time
In the skies of Oklahoma, an overlooked, harmful organic contaminant has surfaced, leaving researchers questioning its potential consequences. As of now, the repercussions remain unclear, but experts stress the urgency for watchful eyes.
Delving into sophisticated instruments, chemists from the University of Colorado Boulder aimed to uncover secrets about aerosol particle formation in the atmosphere. Instead, they stumbled upon medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) in the atmosphere.
MCCPs, with their confounding names, make an appearance in metalworking fluids and the fabrication of PVC and textiles. They have a knack for permeating wastewater, eventually ending up in biosolids—processed human sewage sludge used as fertilizer—and subsequently, agricultural fields. This agricultural application is believed to be the origin of their atmospheric pollution.
"You spread sewage sludge on the fields, and these poisonous compounds might be discharged into the air. Although we can't prove it conclusively, it's a plausible means for them to wind up in the air," Daniel Katz, the lead author of the study and a PhD student at CU Boulder, stated in a release.
MCCPs were previously traced in the atmosphere of Asia and Antarctica, but this marks the first reported instance in North America or the Western Hemisphere in general. Given the preliminary findings, the comprehensive impact on human health and natural ecosystems is still under analysis. However, tentative research suggests that they may cause significant damage, and environmental health organizations are already advocating for a ban on their use.
Their close relatives, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), are governed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Stockholm Convention, an international treaty designed to control persistent organic pollutants. The governance of MCCPs is currently under review by the Stockholm Convention.
In a slightly ironic twist, the stringent regulation of SCCPs may have actually bolstered the production of the newly found MCCPs.
"We always face unforeseen consequences of regulation—when we regulate something, there's still a need for the products it was in, so they get replaced by something else," Ellie Browne, CU Boulder chemistry professor and co-author of the study, explained.
With such implications in mind, the researchers urge authorities to assess MCCPs levels in the atmosphere and weigh the risks.
"We identified them, but we're still in the dark about their behavior in the atmosphere. Further investigation is warranted. I believe it's essential that we continue having governmental agencies that can evaluate the science and regulate these chemicals as necessary for public health and safety," Katz stated.
The study was published in the journal ACS Environmental Au.
- The potential consequences of medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) in the North American atmosphere remain unclear, leaving researchers questioning their impact on public health and the natural environment.
- MCCPs, found in aerosol particle formation in the atmosphere, are typically used in metalworking fluids and the fabrication of PVC and textiles, eventually permeating wastewater and ending up in biosolids, agricultural fields, and subsequently, the air.
- The authorities are currently reviewing the governance of MCCPs, similar to the US Environmental Protection Agency's and Stockholm Convention's regulation of their short-chain counterparts, the short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs).
- Given the initial findings, environmental health organizations are already advocating for a ban on MCCPs use as tentative research suggests they may cause substantial damage to human health and natural ecosystems.
- The researchers stress the urgency for authorities to assess MCCPs levels in the atmosphere, understand their behavior, and weigh the risks, ensuring adequate regulation for public health and safety.
