Chemical Properties
Some of the chemical characteristics of POPs include low water solubility, high lipid solubility, semi-volatility, and high molecular masses. POPs with molecular masses lower than 236 g/mol are less toxic, less persistent in the environment, and have more reversible effects than those with higher molecular masses. POPs are frequently halogenated, usually with chlorine. The more chlorine groups a POP has, the more resistant it is to being broken down over time. One important factor of their chemical properties such as lipid solubility results in the ability to pass through biological phospholipid membranes and bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of living organisms.
Read more about this topic: Persistent Organic Pollutant
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