The Possibility for "Natural" Generation of Chlorinated Organic Compounds

There is continuing concern for the exposure of persons to various chlorinated organics via the environment, for example, chlorinated disinfection byproducts in drinking water.⁽¹⁾ Some of these may be carcinogenic,⁽²⁾ although the evidence is far from strong.⁽³⁾ There is an accumulating body of evidence that one of the normal human immunological responses to foreign agents is the generation of hypochlorous acid. This evidence will be summarized. The possibility that this HOCl generated in vivo could result in the formation of organo-chlorine compounds does not appear to have been seriously considered. Based on best available information, the amount of such byproduct formation will be estimated.