Toxic organics are those that contain harmful substances. These organics originate from industrial discharges such as waste water from organic finishing facilities. Conventional organics are those that abide by set rules and mainly involve organics from fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals that are useful to humans. Toxic organics are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical and photolytic processes and hence are persistent in the environment (Popek, 2003). The organics then end up accumulating in tissues of living organisms which consequently impacts negatively on human health and also on the environment.
Toxic organics are used in industrial processes in the production of a range of products such as solvents. Production of these organics by humans during the industrial process may either be intentional or as a by-product of industrial operations. Toxic organics have a lower solubility in water as compared to conventional ones (Popek, 2003). However, they have higher lipid solubility than conventional organics. Toxics organics require more labor providing jobs thus reducing other types of job hence leading to increase in cost as compared to conventional organics. Also toxic organic is more profitable, since products such as fertilizers are normally used in conventional as compared to conventional organics (Popek, 2003). Both organics can cause death and illnesses in case they are ingested by humans. From these differences we are able to compare the relative amount of water allowed in them.
Toxic organics are less soluble thus only less amount a small amount of them is allowed in water as compared to conventional organics. In general toxic organics are more harmful as compared to conventional organics to both human health and to the environment and hence should not be in minimal amounts or non-existent in water. Toxic organics are supposed to be limited using the most economic achievable technology while conventional organics are limited by standards set for such materials (Foran & Fink, 1993).
References
Foran, J. & Fink, L. (1993). Regulating Toxic Substances in Surface Water. California: CRC Press.
Popek, E. (2003). Sampling & Analysis of Environmental Chemical Pollutants. Massachusetts:
Academic Press.
