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; H