Persistent organic pollutant
Persistent Organic Pollutant
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), pronounced /pɜːrˈsɪstənt ɔːrˈɡænɪk pəˈluːtənts/, are a group of chemical substances that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. The term "persistent" is used to describe these compounds because they resist degradation through environmental processes.
Etymology
The term "Persistent Organic Pollutant" is derived from the characteristics of these substances. "Persistent" refers to their resistance to degradation, "Organic" indicates that they are carbon-based compounds, and "Pollutant" signifies their harmful impact on the environment and living organisms.
Related Terms
- Bioaccumulation: The process by which a substance accumulates in living organisms and their environment.
- Biomagnification: The increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
- Dioxins: A group of chemically-related compounds that are Persistent Organic Pollutants.
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): A class of organic compounds that are notable Persistent Organic Pollutants.
- Organochlorine pesticides: Pesticides that contain chlorine and are often Persistent Organic Pollutants.
See Also
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Environmental toxicology
- Environmental chemistry
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