EDITORIAL

Pollution

Implementing the Stockholm Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants

M Porta, E Zumeta

Institut Municipal d'Investigació Médica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Prof. Miquel Porta, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Médica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Carrer del Dr Aiguader 80, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain;
mporta@imim.es

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Implementation of the Stockholm Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a unique opportunity to foster changes in environmental, occupational, and food policies

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Abbreviations: ECA, environmental chemical agent; HCB, hexachlorobenzene; HCH, hexachlorocyclohexane; NIP, national implementation plan; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; PBB, polybrominated biphenyl; PCB, polychlorinated biphenyl; PCDD, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin; PCDF, polychlorinated dibenzofuran; POP, persistent organic pollutant

Keywords: PCB, persistent organic pollutant; pesticide

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the forthcoming months many scientific, technical, and political energies will be devoted throughout the world to design specific plans to implement the Stockholm Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).^1–4 Drawn under the leadership of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)—with significant contributions from non-governmental organisations, trade unions, and private companies—it has been saluted as "a global public health treaty", one that will "protect public health both from DDT and malaria", "the first global agreement ever to seek to ban an entire class of chemicals because of their direct effects on human health".^3,4

After four years of work, in December 2000 this "international legally binding instrument" was finalised. In May 2001 delegates from over one hundred countries (including the United States, Canada, and all members of the European Union) signed the accord in Stockholm. It is expected to be put into effect by 2004, after 50 nations have ratified . . . [Full text of this article]

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