1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. GS Paper 3
  4. Environment and Biodiversity

Global Study on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)


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.

Subject:

Get free UPSC Updates straight to your inbox!

Get Updates on New Notification about APPSC, TSPSC and UPSC

Get Current Affairs Updates Directly into your Inbox

Discover more from AMIGOS IAS

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

WhatsApp Us

Exit mobile version