Which class of compounds includes PCBs and DDT?
Polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT are chlorinated hydrocarbons: organic molecules containing carbon frameworks with multiple chlorine substituents. Chlorination often increases chemical stability and lipid solubility, so these compounds resist degradation, partition into fatty tissues, and may biomagnify. PCBs were widely used in electrical equipment, whereas DDT was an insecticide. Neither compound is a carbohydrate, elemental heavy metal, or simply a generic plasticizer. Rates must be compared on the same area, biomass, leaf-area, and time basis because changing the denominator can reverse a
Ref: Campbell Biology, Urry et al., 12th Ed., Unit 8 Ecology
