Persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, are highly stable organic compounds that persist in the environment, are capable of long-range transport, bioaccumulate through the food web and can be highly toxic to humans and wildlife. POPs are primarily products and byproducts of human activity and major sources include pesticide applications, chemical manufacturing and incineration.
Governments have targeted 12 POPs for early action under proposed terms of a global, legally binding treaty. The most problematic are DDT, PCBs, dioxins and furans, but the list also includes the pesticides toxaphene, chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin and dieldrin, endrin, mirex and hexachlorobenzene.
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