The Global Problem (UNECE POPs Protocol & UNEP POPs Convention)
Some chemicals are not only persistent and able to bioaccumulate in living organisms including humans, but are also able to travel long distances in air or ocean currents. These are called persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and are extremely nasty chemicals. Because these chemicals are so detrimental to health and the environment there are two international conventions which seek to control them. The first is the UNECE POPs Protocol (1998), which focuses only on those which are transported via air currents. The second, is a global Treaty, called the UNEP Stockholm Convention (2001) on POPs, often called the POPs Convention. This covers POPs which can travel long distances by air or water. Currently there are 12 chemicals covered by the POPs convention, which are: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs); Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs); Aldrin; Dieldrin; Endrin; Hexachlorobenzene (HCB); Chlordane; DDT; Heptachlor; Mirex; Toxaphene.
The Arctic is particularly at risk from these POPs, because air and ocean currents can carry these harmful chemicals to the polar regions where they become concentrated. In future, exposure in the Arctic regions may be further increased by global climate change, as those locked in the ice may be remobilised.
CHEM Trust staff have been involved in lobbying for additional chemicals, beyond the original twelve, to be subject to global bans under the UNEP POPs Convention. We recognise the importance of this work, bearing in mind the need to protect all wildlife and people from harmful chemicals, and the potential for such contaminants to be found in imported foods and other articles.
A group of NGOs from all over the world are actively working in this area, under the IPEN (International POPs Elimination Network) banner.
UN POPs Convention: http://www.pops.int/
(The link marked POPRC which stands for the POP Review Committee will give information about potential additional POP chemicals)
IPEN : http://www.ipen.org/
UNECE POPs Protocol : http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/pops_h1.htm