8.7 Persistent Organic Pollutants

Stockholm Convention

2001 - treaty focused on eliminating or restricting production and use of POPs

pops

* persistent
* organic
* often in rings, with chlorine attached to outside of ring
* synthetic
* nonpolar

examples

* DDTs
* PCBs
* compounds from volcanic activity/forest fires
* industry chemicals
* agriculture chemicals

ddts

* dicloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane
* insecticde
* colorless crystal
* banned for use in US

pcbs

* polychlorinated biphenyl
* industrial fluid
* yellow liquid
* banned for us in US

water and soil

what do pops contaminate

acts

* clean water act
* safe drinking water act
* RCRA
* CERCLA

1

do not easily break down, synthetic carbon based molecules

2

can travel long distances before being redeposited

3

fat soluble, bioaccumulate and biomagnify