Ecomare

There are thousands of different materials used for combatting diseases and plagues in agriculture, forestry and public greenery. Sometimes they are natural materials, usually they are man-made. Many of these materials end up in the marine environment. One has an impression of what the consequences are for just a few of these; the most have not yet been tested for eventual environmental effects. OSPAR and the United Nations make lists of pesticides that cause tremendous damage to the marine environment, and therefore deserve extra attention in studies and policy. Some examples found on the list are the anti-fouling paint organotin, the fungicide hexachlorobenzene and the insecticides aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, eldrin, heptachlorine, minex and toxaphene.