Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS)
Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs, include certain industrial chemicals such as PCBs, pesticides such as DDT, chlordane and toxaphene, and unintentional contaminants and by-products such as dioxins and furans. They enter the environment as a result of human activity.
Bioaccumulation and Arctic effects
POPs bioaccumulate in living organisms, persist in the environment and have long-term toxic effects. POPs are semi-volatile chemicals. After their release into the environment, they travel in multiple cycles of evaporation, transport by air and condensation. Called the grasshopper effect, this process allows POPs to travel great distances quickly. In the cold climate of the Arctic, low evaporation rates trap POPs, and so they enter the food chain. In Canada, the highest concentrations of POPs in aquatic biota are found in the Arctic, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence basin. Scientific evidence indicates that POPs cause significant adverse effects to human health and wildlife.
Stockholm Convention - working toward a solution
On May 23, 2001, Canada was the first country to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, a global agreement that will dramatically reduce or eliminate emissions of 12 of these toxic substances.
