Persistent Organic Polltants Factsheet

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are carbon-based chemical compounds and mixtures, that include industrial chemicals, pesticides like DDT, and unwanted byproducts like Dioxins. Most POPs are products and by-products of human industry and are of relatively recent origin.

The story so far:
Concern is growing about POPs because they accumulate in body fat and in the environment. The problem is worse in colder climates as they breakdown more slowly at lower temperatures. As they can be transported through both air and sea, the problem of POPs crosses national boundaries. Traces of these chemicals can be found in most human beings and all kinds of wildlife, even in isolated parts of the globe. Although most POPs are produced during the manufacture of pesticides and other chlorinated substances, others are formed unintentionally due to incomplete combustion. Food is the main way POPs enter our bodies. There are many old stockpiles of pesticides that leak, leach, and evaporate into the air causing harmful effects to the environment. POPs are banned in most countries because of their harmful effects. Despite this they are still being used as pesticides in many countries.

POPs- The dirty dozen Of the many existing POPs, the following twelve are currently being studied:

• Aldrin is applied to soil to kill termites, grasshoppers, corn rootworm, and other insect pests. It can kill birds, fish, and humans. It is permitted in certain countries for agricultural or public health purposes.
• Chlordane is used to control termites and as a broad-spectrum insecticides on a range of agricultural crops. It may affect the human immune system and is classified as a possible human carcinogen. It is banned or severely restricted in dozens of countries.
• DDT was widely used during World War II to protect soldiers and civilians from malaria, typhus, and other diseases spread by insects. Birds' eggshells become thinner due to DDT, and it has been detected in breast milk. 34 countries have banned it, while 34 others severely restrict its use. It is still manufactured in India, China, and Mexico.
• Dieldrin is used to control termites and textile pests. In Kenya it is used for banding coffee trees. Dieldrin is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic animals. Many countries permit its import, including Ethiopia and Sri Lanka.
• Dioxins are produced unintentionally, due to incomplete combustion, and also emitted when waste is burnt in incinerators. It can cause cancer and birth defects, even in extremely tiny amounts.
• Endrin is sprayed on the leaves of crops like cotton and grains to control rodents such as mice and moles. It is highly toxic to fish. It is used in Dominic Republic and manufactured in the United States.
• Furan compounds are produced unintentionally and are classified as possible carcinogens.
• Heptachlor is used to kill insects, termites, cotton insects, grass hoppers, other crop pests, and malaria-carrying mosquitoes. It is responsible for the decline of several wild bird populations, and is considered to be a human carcinogen. Some two dozen countries have either banned or severely restricted its use.
• Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was introduced in 1945 to treat seeds and was widely used to control wheat bunt. It is also a byproduct of the manufacture of some industrial chemicals. People exposed to HCBs can develop photosensitive skin sores, colic, and poor health. It is banned in many counties including Australia, Belgium, United Kingdom, and Turkey.
• Mirex is used to combat fire ants and termites and as a fire retardant in plastics, rubber, and electrical goods. It is classified as possible human carcinogen and is toxic to several plants and fish.
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are used in industry as heat exchange fluids, in electric transformers and capacitors, and as additives in paint, carbon-less copy paper, and plastics. They are toxic to fish, suppress the human immune system and are listed as probable human carcinogens. Countries which ban PCBs include Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the US.
• Toxaphene is used on cotton grains, cereal grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It is highly toxic to fish and a possible human carcinogen. China, Pakistan, and Nicaragua manufacture toxaphene but it its banned in other countries like Austria and Belgium.

POPs create risks which cannot be managed, so they must be eliminated. The United Nations has called them 'a serious threat to human health'. Disruption of hormones in humans and wildlife can be caused by POPs, and they are associated with an increase in disorders of the

reproductive organs. POPs are associated in particular with impacts on women such as breast cancer. Babies are exposed to POPs in the womb, with risks to their potential and future quality of life. POPs have been classified as contaminants of human milk since 1996.

Food is the main way POPs can enter our bodies. As they are soluble in fat and not easily broken down in the body, they accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans. As one animal eats another, the level of POPs in fat increases. This means that the highest levels are found in predator animals at the top of the food chain, such as polar bear, seals, toothed whales, birds of prey, and humans.

All aspects of the environment can become contaminated by POPs. For instance, spraying pesticides containing POPs on to crops contaminates vegetation and soils, discharges from factories making POPs contaminates rivers, and if smoke which is released from incinerators and factories, contains POPs it contaminates the air.

POP pesticides were introduced in Pakistan in the 1950s when the federal government began importing DDT and BHC for malaria control and agriculture. Later, large qualities of Dieldrin and Aldrin were also added to the list. When, in the mid-to-late 1970s, the pesticide business was privatized and multinationals entered the market, imports of all pesticides increased even further. This has resulted in a situation where degrading stockpiles of extremely hazardous pesticides are littered across the country.
Officially, all POP pesticides except Chlordane are banned for use and import, with BYHC being banned in 1997. However, in April 1998, Greenpeace as able to confirm the availability of pesticides marketed as Dieldrin, DDT, BHC and heptachlor.

Coordination

Improved coordination between north and south and other regional blocks is needed to promote a strong and effective treaty leading to the elimination of existing POPs and the adoption of the precautionary principle for future POPs. Currently, inter-governmental negotiations are being held to draft a legally binding document to address the twelve Priority POPs. Developed countries, influenced by industry, are striving for a weak treaty.

Educational programs

As there is lack of public awareness, educational programs should start to help people gain more knowledge about the harmful effects of POPs.

Minimising releases and emissions

The discharge, manufacture and use of the twelve POPs mentioned earlier should be eliminated.

WWF's mission recognises that controlling pollution is essential to conserving biological diversity and protect human health. WWF's goal is to phase out and ban chemicals like POPs, while working to identify and implement acceptable, effective, and affordable alternatives. WWF seeks:
• National, multinational, and international action to control and, where necessary, ban, the use of those chemicals which are already known to have harmful effects.
• Greater use of the 'precautionary principle' in public decision making. Action should be taken to prevent harm from chemicals even when definitive scientific information is incomplete.
• Development and use of new screens and tests to evaluate chemicals for endocrine disruption.
• Increased public and private sector investments in research on endocrine disrupting chemicals.
• Legislative mechanisms which lead to the substitution of hazardous substances with less hazardous or non-hazardous substances or processes, without waiting for definitive proof of harmful effects.
• Proactive efforts by manufacturers and users of endocrine disrupting substances to phase out their use.
" Development of policies and principles which would help reduce the use of POPs.
• Financial and technical assistance to encourage adoption of new technology that is less harmful than POPs. Developed countries should help developing countries to switch over to safer alternatives.

For more information on POPs, visit the following web sites:

WWF-US: www.worldwildlife.org/toxics
WWF-Canada: www.wwfcanada.org
WWF-UK: www.wwf-uk.org
WWF-Germany: www.wwf.de
Other links
www.commonweal.org/pops.html
www.ipen.org
www.c3.org/chlorine_issues/health/pops.html
www.psr.org
www.chem.unep.ch/pops/default.html

Compiled and edited by Environmental Pollution Unit, WWF- Pakistan