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What Are Persistent Organic Pollutants?

Persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, can damage wildlife and human health for years and spread to all parts of the globe, especially as the contamination makes its way up the food chain.

  1. Definition

    • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines POPs as chemicals that continue to have toxic qualities in the environment long after their initial production.

    Types

    • POPs fall into two main categories. Intentionally produced POPs such as pesticides and PCBs serve specific industrial purposes, while unintentionally produced POPs form as a by-product of combustion or other industrial processes.

    Effects

    • POP contamination causes a wide range of illnesses and birth defects in wildlife. As animals prey on wildlife contaminated with POPs, the toxins travel up the food chain, becoming increasingly concentrated in the tissues of each predator.

    Spread

    • POPs can travel vast distances through air, water or animal migration. POPs have extended their reach to the Arctic circle, thousands of miles from their origin points.

    Solutions

    • A 2001 treaty known as the Stockholm Convention united 90 participating countries in a commitment to stop or cut down the intentional production of POPs and adopt responsible practices for the disposal of unintentional POPs.

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