Budget and Source Inventories

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemicals that are resistant to degradation via mechanisms such as photolysis, chemical attack or biological action. Introduction of these chemicals into the environment can result in their accumulation in soils, sediments, and in human and ecological foodchains, where they can induce toxic effects in humans and the environment. POPs are almost entirely man-made, and according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) over 300 chemicals with properties that would classify them as POPs are subject to bans or other controls in one or more countries worldwide. They include pesticides such as DDT, mirex, aldrin and lindane, and industrial chemicals or byproducts such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs).