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Persistent Organic Pollutants - POPs
The main focus of the project is on monitoring of Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs) in rivers and fresh water bodies close to the coastal
areas. The objective is to develop an early-warning system to counter and
minimize environmental pollution; this will be achieved through periodic
and systematic monitoring.
POPs Definition:
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances that persist
in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of
causing adverse effects to human population and the environment. There has
been a realization that these pollutants, upon exposure of human population,
can cause serious health effects ranging from increased incidence of
cancers to disruption of hormonal system. These effects have also been
observed and recorded for various animal species. Developing countries
are particularly vulnerable due to often indiscriminate use and disposal
of POPs.
Impact of POPs:
There is significant evidence that there is long-range transport of
these substances to regions where they have never been used or produced.
The obvious ramification is that POPs pose threats to the environment of
the whole globe, and therefore, the international community has focused on
global actions to reduce and eliminate releases of these chemicals. It is
now internationally acknowledged that Arctic ecosystems and indigenous
communities are particularly at risk because of the biomagnification of
POPs in the food chain and contamination of traditional foods in the Tundra
region is a public health issue.
An equally important issue is to identify future actions needed to minimize
and prevent entry of POPs into the environment. This includes re-thinking
production processes and utilization of chemicals in various manufacturing
activities. It is also critical to develop adequate methodologies for
disposal of wastes that contain POPs. Implementing any such remediation
approaches in developing countries would likely entail considerable
capacity development and technology transfer.
International Governance of POPs:
There has been a significant level of debate on these issues at the
international level, particularly during the 1990's. This has culminated
in the development of the Stockholm Convention On Persistent Organic
ollutants on 22 May 2001; this was a major milestone in the efforts to
curb the impacts of POPs. At this time, there are 151 signatories and 11
parties to this convention.
UNU's Role in POPs Monitoring:
The East Asian region has also been actively involved in the POPs debate.
However, there is still a need for developing extensive database of the
level of POPs in various compartments of the environment. In its previous
activities since 1996, UNU has targeted the monitoring of many POPs
compounds. This project builds on the previous work and compiled database
of POPs, to launch a comprehensive set of monitoring activities linked
closely to thematic discussions on environmental quality. This can lead to
concrete mechanisms for identifying existing and impending threats from POPs.
Click here for POPs Monitoring Database
UNU's Events:
International symposia and workshops on environmental monitoring of POPs are
held annually. These meetings include country reports on work in each of the
participating countries. Open and scientifically-based discussion on various
aspects of POPs management are important in this process. The findings from
these meetings are disseminated in the form of a book as well as over the
Internet.
Click here for
a listing of UNU's Events
This project currently involves a network of eight research centers in
different Asian countries, as well as scientists working in Japan.
For information on international environmental monitoring activities and
further information on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), please visit
the
Global Network for monitoring of Chemicals in the Environment, at UNEP
Chemicals.
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