Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on Human Health

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are synthetic chemicals of man-made origin and are of great concern due to their persistency, bioaccumulation, and long-range transport. They are lipophilic and resist environmental degradation and thus get accumulated in fatty tissues of humans and animals. Due to their bioaccumulation potential in human and animal tissues, they cause severe health impacts in all age groups. POPs cause a variety of adverse health effects including chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular, reproductive effects, diabetes, cancer, immune system suppression, decrements in cognitive and neurobehavioral function. The Stockholm Convention (SC) is a global treaty working to protect human health and the environment from the deleterious effects of POPs, has initiated Global Monitoring Plan (GMP) to estimate the concentration of POPs in different environmental matrices including human biomonitoring. Though the use of many of the POP chemicals has been reduced in the present time, elevated levels of POPs in the environment are still associated with several health impacts. Lack of significant epidemiological data and insufficient knowledge on POPs and hazardous chemicals are one of the biggest hindrances that are being faced throughout the world and especially in developing countries with their economies in transition.