Persistent Organic Pollutants
What are Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)?
There are numerous organic substances that only degrade very slowly and therefore remain in the environment for decades, centuries or even for millennia. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are a group of organic chemical compounds that are persistent in the environment and travel vast distances via air and water.
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) entered into force in May 2004. The objective of the Convention is to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of POPs through the ban of the production, use, and trade of the substances. Currently, there are more than 180 Parties to the Convention.
As of today, around 34 highly toxic pesticides and chemicals are listed in the Annexes of the Stockholm Convention:
- Aldrin
- Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane
- Beta hexachlorocyclohexane
- Chlordane
- Chlordecone
- DDT
- Decabromodiphenyl ether (c-decaBDE)
- Dechlorane Plus
- Dicofol
- Dieldrin
- Endrin
- Heptachlor
- Hexabromobiphenyl
- Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD)
- Hexabromodiphenyl ether and
heptabromodiphenyl ether - Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
- Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)
- Lindane
- Methoxychlor
- Mirex
- Pentachlorobenzene
- Pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters
- Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride
- Perfluorhexane sulfonic acids and its salts
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
- Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF)
- Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD)
- Polychlorinated naphthalenes
- Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)
- Technical endosulfan and its related isomers
- Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and
pentabromodiphenyl ether - Toxaphene
- UV-328
Properties
POPs are toxic to both humans and wildlife.
They remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time. They become widely distributed throughout the environment as a result of natural processes involving soil, water and, most notably, air.
POPs accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms including humans, and are found at higher concentrations at higher levels in the food chain.
Risiks
Even if only low levels of a certain POPs are present in the environment, they can still accumulate in living organisms at high concentrations.
POPs are very toxic and can cause cancer and have other adverse health effects. They interfere with the endocrine system, can cause malformations in newborns and damage the immune system.
Not only people who take in POPs via the food chain are at risk; but above all, people who use POPs directly, for example when applying pesticides in agriculture.
The harmful effects of POPs are undisputed.
Stockholm Convention
With the official signing of the Stockholm Convention (www.pops.int) on Persistent Organic Pollutants by delegations from 122 countries in Stockholm on 22 May 2001, a process was started aiming at the worldwide ban of the production and use of certain extremely dangerous and persistent organic substances.
In many developing countries, POPs are still being produced and used, either as pesticides in the agricultural industry, as wood preservers, as a means of fighting malaria or for construction and industrial use.
