Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Hazardous pesticide contamination in soils often results from improper storage of (obsolete) agrochemicals, as a result of which pesticides are spilled in the surroundings of the storage site, where they seep into the soil or are dispersed by wind. In some cases, pesticide spillage has been ongoing for many years. Such spillage may cause serious soil or groundwater contamination. In addition, highly toxic and persistent compounds have been used in agriculture for decades to control pests and diseases, which are proven to cause harm to non-target species.

Dioxins and dioxin-like substances, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and are unwanted by-products of combustion and various industrial processes, such as chlorine bleaching of paper pulp and smelting. They can travel long distances from the source of emission, and bioaccumulate in food chains These substances represent a major public health concern. They have been associated with a range of acute and long-term adverse health effects and diseases (WHO, 2019).

Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimetres in length which can be harmful to the environment especially marine life. They originate from a variety of sources, including larger plastic debris that degrades into progressively smaller pieces (adapted from UNEP, 2016 and NOAA, no date).