Why is it in the news?
- Conducted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a comprehensive global study monitored the status of 30 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) listed under the Stockholm Convention as of 2021.
Key Findings
- Regulatory actions globally since 2004 have led to a decline in the use of 12 POPs.
- The use of DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), a synthetic insecticide, has decreased by over 70% in human milk samples since 2004.
- High levels of replacement POPs, such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), were detected due to their similar properties.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
About:
- Chemical substances (carbon-based) that persist in the environment, including pesticides, industrial chemicals, or unwanted by-products of industrial processes.
- They exhibit resistance to photolytic, biological, and chemical degradation and include examples like Dieldrin, Endrin, and Heptachlor.
Key Properties:
- Typically halogenated with low water solubility.
- Highly lipid-soluble, facilitating bioaccumulation in living organisms.
- Semi-volatile in nature, allowing them to travel long distances in the atmosphere before deposition.
Impact of POPs:
- Linked to cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, and increased risks of asthma and thyroid disease due to their endocrine disrupting properties.
| About Stockholm Convention · An international legally binding agreement on POPs adopted in 2001 and enforced in 2004. · India ratified the Stockholm Convention in 2006, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified the ‘Regulation of POP Rules, 2018’ under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. · GEF serves as the designated interim financial mechanism for the Convention. |