Conclusions

A crusade is ongoing against element 17 in the periodic table, i.e. chlorine, one of the most abundant on earth. It is blamed, amongst other things, to be responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer, bioaccumulation of chlorinated compounds such as DDT or PCB's in animals and for the formation of dioxins in urban waste incineration.Due to socio-economic implications the issue has gone too early beyond the borders of the scientific community, before facts have been proven and evaluated. As a result, it has been treated in inappropriate and emotional ways even affecting scientific ethics in some cases.Therefore, the International Union of Pureand Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), conscious of its responsibilities in thisarea, has decided to publish this White Book with the collaboration ofoutstanding worldwide renowned scientific specialists from North-America,Europe and Japan in order to inform the public and the decision makersas well as the scientific community in an objective, open and unbiasedway on the up-to-date scientific knowledge.In doing so IUPAC is following its philosophyto make independent judgments on important issues that are touchy or sensitiveto the general public, governments and industry. IUPAC is not acting asa judge, but would like to critically evaluate the various factors forand against a particular issue.The occurrence of chlorine in nature andalso in living organisms, either as inorganic compounds or as numerousand very diversified natural "organo-chlorines" does not makeany doubt any more (T. GRAEDEL and W.C. KEENE, G.W. GRIBBLE).The availability of the raw material, salt,the development of convenient production technologies and the chemicalproperties of chlorine have generated a blooming tree of applicationsin such different fields as the pulp and paper industry (K. SOLOMON),the disinfection of water (H. GALAL-GORCHEV) but mainly in organic synthesisleading to a host of useful products, for example, polymers, pharmaceuticals,pesticides, dyes and pigments (J. FAUVARQUE).It is quite clear that chemists have notalways been aware beforehand of all the possible consequences of havingmanufactured new molecules, be they chlorinated or not. Chemicals emittedvoluntarily or inadvertently in the environment are distributed thereaccording to a complex set of physico-chemical properties (J. MIYAMOTO, K. BALLSCHMITER).Volatile compounds such as aliphatic chlorinatedand chlorofluorinated hydrocarbons find their way to the "atmosphericcompartments"