Difference between revisions of "Persistent organic pollutant"
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A '''persistent organic pollutant''' (POP) is an [[organic compound]] that is only slowly degraded in the environment, so that it tends to persist and even to accumulate rather than being broken down by [[Photodegradation|photochemical]] or [[Biodegradation|biological processes]]. Accumulation can occur either in the environment (eg, in sediments) or in the tissue of animal or plant species (bioaccumulation). | A '''persistent organic pollutant''' (POP) is an [[organic compound]] that is only slowly degraded in the environment, so that it tends to persist and even to accumulate rather than being broken down by [[Photodegradation|photochemical]] or [[Biodegradation|biological processes]]. Accumulation can occur either in the environment (eg, in sediments) or in the tissue of animal or plant species (bioaccumulation). | ||
| − | Public concern about persistent organic pollutants was first raised in the early 1960s with the publication of the book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) by U.S. author Rachel Carson (1907–64), which led to the banning of [[DDT]] for agricultural use in the United States in 1972. The U.S. and several other countries have regulated POPs on a case-by-case basis since then. A more systematic approach to the regulation of POP production and use can be found in the [[Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants]], signed in 2001, and the European Union [[REACH Regulation]] (1907/2006).<ref name="REACH">[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:396:0001:0849:EN:PDF Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC], ''OJEU'' L396, 30.12.2006, pp 1–849.</ref> | + | Public concern about persistent organic pollutants was first raised in the early 1960s with the publication of the book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) by U.S. author Rachel Carson (1907–64), which led to the banning of [[DDT]] for agricultural use in the United States in 1972. The U.S. and several other countries have regulated POPs on a case-by-case basis since then. A more systematic approach to the regulation of POP production and use can be found in the [[Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants]], signed in 2001, and the European Union [[REACH Regulation]] (EC No 1907/2006).<ref name="REACH">[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:396:0001:0849:EN:PDF Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC], ''OJEU'' L396, 30.12.2006, pp 1–849.</ref><ref group="note">These are far from the only international, regional and national measures concerning persistent organic pollutants. POPs are dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the [[Basel Convention]] (1989) and the [[Rotterdam Convention]] (1998) as well as by several regional agreements. The [[REACH Regulation]] (EC No 1907/2006) goes further than the [[Stockholm Convention]]: the European Union implements the Stockholm Convention through the [[POPs Regulation]] (EC No 850/2004).</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | Initial concern over persistent organic pollutants centred on [[organochlorine insecticide]]s, industrial [[organochlorine compound]]s such as [[polychlorinated biphenyls]] (PCBs) and byproducts such as [[dioxins]]. Other classes of POPs include [[organobromine compound|brominated]] [[flame retardant]]s, [[Organofluorine compound|perfluorooctyl compounds]] and [[nitro compound]]s such as [[musk xylene]]. | ||
==Definitions== | ==Definitions== | ||
| − | A persistent organic pollutant could simply be defined in terms of its persistence in the environment, which would include substances such as [[crude oil]]. However, it is more normal also to take account of the potential for bioaccumulation and any toxicity associated with the substance. | + | A persistent organic pollutant could simply be defined in terms of its persistence in the environment, which would include substances such as [[crude oil]]. However, it is more normal also to take account of the potential for bioaccumulation and any toxicity associated with the substance. The Stockholm Convention Secretariat gives the following general definition:<ref>{{citation | title = The POPs | url = http://chm.pops.int/Convention/ThePOPs/tabid/673/language/en-US/Default.aspx | publisher = Stockholm Convention Secretariat | accessdate = 2009-12-21}}.</ref> |
| + | {{quotation|Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic chemical substances, that is, they are carbon-based. They possess a particular combination of physical and chemical properties such that, once released into the environment, they: | ||
| + | * remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time (many years); | ||
| + | * become widely distributed throughout the environment as a result of natural processes involving soil, water and, most notably, air; | ||
| + | * accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms including humans, and are found at higher concentrations at higher levels in the food chain; and | ||
| + | * are toxic to both humans and wildlife.}} | ||
| + | The European Union distinguishes between '''PBT substances''' (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic) and '''vPvB substances''' (very persistent, very bioaccumulative). All substances listed in the Stockholm Convention are vPvB under the EU classification, and also have evidence of toxicity and long-range environmental transport. | ||
{| class="wikitable" width = 100% | {| class="wikitable" width = 100% | ||
| Line 11: | Line 19: | ||
! | ! | ||
! Stockholm Convention<ref>Annex D, [[Stockholm Convention]].</ref> | ! Stockholm Convention<ref>Annex D, [[Stockholm Convention]].</ref> | ||
| − | ! colspan=2 | REACH Regulation<ref>Annex XIII, [[REACH Regulation]], at pp 383–85, as modified by Art. 58.15, [[CLP Regulation]], at p 32.</ref><ref group="note">The modification to the [[REACH Regulation]] introduced by Art. 58.15 of the [[CLP Regulation]] will come into force on 1 December 2010: the original criteria | + | ! colspan=2 | REACH Regulation<ref>Annex XIII, [[REACH Regulation]], at pp 383–85, as modified by Art. 58.15, [[CLP Regulation]], at p 32.</ref><ref group="note">The modification to the [[REACH Regulation]] introduced by Art. 58.15 of the [[CLP Regulation]] (EC No 1272/2008) will come into force on 1 December 2010: the original criteria were based on the [[Dangerous Substances Directive (67/546/EEC)|Dangerous Substances Directive]] (67/546/EEC), but are almost identical to the new criteria.</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| rowspan=2 | '''Persistence''' | | rowspan=2 | '''Persistence''' | ||
| Line 59: | Line 67: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Safe disposal of POPs== | ||
| + | Just as POPs are, by definition, persistent in the environment, they are also difficult to dispose of safely. For [[organochlorine compound]]s in particular, the only practical procedure is high-temperature incineration, but this must be done under strictly controlled conditions to minimize the formation of [[dioxins]] and [[dibenzofurans]], POPs in their own right. Such disposal is costly even in countries that have access to the necessary technology. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Many organizations, not least the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO) of the United Nations, have pointed out the problems with the banning of several organochlorine insecticides in the 1970s and 1980s by many industrialized countries. Pesticide stocks in industrialized countries became a financial liability for their holders, and many such stocks ended up being exported to countries where their use was still legal, often countries which themselves could not manage the chain from production to residue disposal. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Regulatory issues== | ||
==Notes and references== | ==Notes and references== | ||
| − | ===Notes== | + | ===Notes=== |
{{reflist|group=note}} | {{reflist|group=note}} | ||
| Line 69: | Line 84: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{wikipedia|Persistent organic pollutant}} | {{wikipedia|Persistent organic pollutant}} | ||
| + | *[http://chm.pops.int/Convention/ThePOPs/tabid/673/language/en-US/Default.aspx The POPs] from the [[Stockholm Convention]] Secretariat | ||
| + | *[http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/UNEPsWork/PersistentOrganicPollutantsPOPs/tabid/296/language/en-US/Default.aspx Persistent Organic Pollutants] at the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] | ||
| + | *[http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=6213 POPs Portal] at the [[United Nations Industrial Development Organization]] | ||
| + | *[http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Disposal/en/what/103380/index.html Obsolete Pesticides] at the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] | ||
| + | *[http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pops/index_en.htm POPs – Persistent Organic Pollutants] from the [[European Commission]] | ||
[[Category:Persistent organic pollutants| ]] | [[Category:Persistent organic pollutants| ]] | ||
{{CC-BY-3.0}} | {{CC-BY-3.0}} | ||
Latest revision as of 03:57, 22 December 2009
A persistent organic pollutant (POP) is an organic compound that is only slowly degraded in the environment, so that it tends to persist and even to accumulate rather than being broken down by photochemical or biological processes. Accumulation can occur either in the environment (eg, in sediments) or in the tissue of animal or plant species (bioaccumulation).
Public concern about persistent organic pollutants was first raised in the early 1960s with the publication of the book Silent Spring (1962) by U.S. author Rachel Carson (1907–64), which led to the banning of DDT for agricultural use in the United States in 1972. The U.S. and several other countries have regulated POPs on a case-by-case basis since then. A more systematic approach to the regulation of POP production and use can be found in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, signed in 2001, and the European Union REACH Regulation (EC No 1907/2006).[1][note 1]
Initial concern over persistent organic pollutants centred on organochlorine insecticides, industrial organochlorine compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and byproducts such as dioxins. Other classes of POPs include brominated flame retardants, perfluorooctyl compounds and nitro compounds such as musk xylene.
Definitions
A persistent organic pollutant could simply be defined in terms of its persistence in the environment, which would include substances such as crude oil. However, it is more normal also to take account of the potential for bioaccumulation and any toxicity associated with the substance. The Stockholm Convention Secretariat gives the following general definition:[2]
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic chemical substances, that is, they are carbon-based. They possess a particular combination of physical and chemical properties such that, once released into the environment, they:
- remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time (many years);
- become widely distributed throughout the environment as a result of natural processes involving soil, water and, most notably, air;
- accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms including humans, and are found at higher concentrations at higher levels in the food chain; and
- are toxic to both humans and wildlife.
The European Union distinguishes between PBT substances (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic) and vPvB substances (very persistent, very bioaccumulative). All substances listed in the Stockholm Convention are vPvB under the EU classification, and also have evidence of toxicity and long-range environmental transport.
| Stockholm Convention[3] | REACH Regulation[4][note 2] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistence |
|
P |
|
| vP |
| ||
| Bioaccumulation |
|
B | bioconcentration factor for aquatic species > 2000. |
| vB | bioconcentration factor for aquatic species > 5000. | ||
| Long-range environmental transport (LRET) | evidence of LRET potential by air, water or migratory species, from either
For transport by air, the half-life in air should be > 2 days. |
not taken into account | |
| Toxicity | evidence for the potential for damage to human health or to the environment, either direct or through laboratory studies. |
| |
Safe disposal of POPs
Just as POPs are, by definition, persistent in the environment, they are also difficult to dispose of safely. For organochlorine compounds in particular, the only practical procedure is high-temperature incineration, but this must be done under strictly controlled conditions to minimize the formation of dioxins and dibenzofurans, POPs in their own right. Such disposal is costly even in countries that have access to the necessary technology.
Many organizations, not least the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, have pointed out the problems with the banning of several organochlorine insecticides in the 1970s and 1980s by many industrialized countries. Pesticide stocks in industrialized countries became a financial liability for their holders, and many such stocks ended up being exported to countries where their use was still legal, often countries which themselves could not manage the chain from production to residue disposal.
Regulatory issues
Notes and references
Notes
- ↑ These are far from the only international, regional and national measures concerning persistent organic pollutants. POPs are dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the Basel Convention (1989) and the Rotterdam Convention (1998) as well as by several regional agreements. The REACH Regulation (EC No 1907/2006) goes further than the Stockholm Convention: the European Union implements the Stockholm Convention through the POPs Regulation (EC No 850/2004).
- ↑ The modification to the REACH Regulation introduced by Art. 58.15 of the CLP Regulation (EC No 1272/2008) will come into force on 1 December 2010: the original criteria were based on the Dangerous Substances Directive (67/546/EEC), but are almost identical to the new criteria.
References
- ↑ Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC, OJEU L396, 30.12.2006, pp 1–849.
- ↑ The POPs; Stockholm Convention Secretariat, <http://chm.pops.int/Convention/ThePOPs/tabid/673/language/en-US/Default.aspx>. (accessed 21 December 2009).
- ↑ Annex D, Stockholm Convention.
- ↑ Annex XIII, REACH Regulation, at pp 383–85, as modified by Art. 58.15, CLP Regulation, at p 32.
- ↑ Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. OJEU L353, 31.12.2008, pp 1–1355.
External links
 |
See also the corresponding article on Wikipedia. |
- The POPs from the Stockholm Convention Secretariat
- Persistent Organic Pollutants at the United Nations Environment Programme
- POPs Portal at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
- Obsolete Pesticides at the Food and Agriculture Organization
- POPs – Persistent Organic Pollutants from the European Commission
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