Chapter 2 - Toxicity of organic radicals for humans, plants, soils, and other living organisms

Abstract

Persistent organic radicals (ORs) are widely present in various environmental media as well as in the process of waste combustion and material production. ORs often have a long life span from hours, days to months, which can induce the formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to risks to organisms consequently. Thus the effects of ORs on the environment are becoming a growing concern around the world. This chapter comprehensively summarizes the studies regarding the toxicity of ORs for plants, animals, microbes, and soils and gives insights into the toxic mechanisms of ORs to organisms. The bottlenecks and future work on ORs research are further discussed. The chapter could help to enhance the knowledge of the toxicity of ORs to organisms, which plays a crucial role in comprehensively understanding the ORs’ hazards and provides references for developing efficient strategies to reduce ORs’ risks.