Synthetic organochlorine chemicals with chlorine atoms bound to phenolic rings were massively produced for their use as pesticides because their environmental persistence granted them high efficacy as biocides. However, they bioaccumulated in vertebrates and caused unexpected deleterious effects on birds and nontarget species, and were phased out. Similar environmental properties and deleterious effects were shown by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorines with industrial uses still present in electric apparatus, and more recently by polybrominated chemicals used as flame retardants. The latter were recently replaced by organophosphorus compounds, some of which, such as tris(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCPP), and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), are also persistent in the marine environment. Other classes of highly persistent and bioaccumulative synthetic chemicals are perfluorinated compounds (PFOS and related chemicals) currently used by the textile industry and in many surface treatments to repel water. They also biomagnify across marine food webs. Components of plastics, cleaning products, and cosmetics, such as bisphenol A, orthophthalates, nonylphenol, or certain benzophenones, have shown in vitro and in vivo potential to interfere with the function of natural hormones such as estrogens, androgens, and thyroid hormones, and are thus termed endocrine disrupting chemicals. Household chemicals present in everyday objects, including plastic additives, cleaning products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, are emitted through the urban wastewaters into the coastal water bodies where they can reach maximum concentrations of 1 μg/L. The continuous input may cause in receiving waters chronic effects similar to those of persistent pollutants.
