Persistent Organic Pollutants

(POPS)
WAQAR ALAM
JUNAID NAVEED
FASEEH MALIK
 Persistent organic pollutants (POPs):

These are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental

degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic
processes. Because of their persistence, POPs bio accumulate
with potential significant impacts on human health and the
environment.
 Many POPs were widely used during the boom in industrial
production after World War II, when thousands of synthetic
chemicals were introduced into commercial use.

Many of these chemicals proved beneficial in pest and disease

control, crop production, and industry. These same chemicals,
however, have had unforeseen effects on human health and the
environment.
According to the POPs Protocol (1998) persistent organic
pollutants are organic substances that:

1) Possess toxic characteristics

2) Are persistent
3) Bio accumulative
4) Are prone to long-range trans boundary atmospheric transport
and deposition
5) Cause significant adverse human health or environmental
effects near to & distant from their sources
Sources:
There are various ways of POPs releases into the environment:
1) Fungicide used for seed treatment
2) Insecticide used against soil insects and termites
3) Insecticide used to control rodents
4) Making of fireworks, ammunition, synthetic rubber.
5) Burning of municipal and medical waste
6) Release as a result of product containing this pollutant as impurity use
7) Thermal processes in ferrous industry
8) Non-ferrous industry
9) Forest fires
Effects of PoPs on living organism:

1)Carcinogenic
2)Mutagenic
3)Weaken immune responses
4)Liver damage
5)Decreased birth weight in babies
6)Effect endocrine system
Pesticides:
1)A chemical or biological agent that kill pests.
2)A pest can be an animal, fungi, insect, plant or any unwanted
species.
 What are pesticides:

Insecticides:- Chemical substance used to kill insects.

Herbicides:- Chemical substance used to kill weeds.
Fungicides:- Chemical substance used to kill fungus.
Rodenticides:- Chemical substance used to kill rodents.
Bactericides:- Chemical substance used to kill Bacteria.
Harmful Effects of Pesticides To Humans:

Short term impacts.

Endocrine disruption.
Chronic health effects.
Acute effects such as abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches,
nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems.
Long-term effects like Cancer, Neurological and Reproductive
effects.
 Effects on Environment:
Accumulate in water system.
Pollute the air.
Harming beneficial insect species, soil microorganisms and
worms.
Weakening plant root system and immune system.
Pesticides residues in surface water can harm animals and
contaminate ground water.
 Ecological Effects of pesticides:

Loss of species diversity among the food chains and food webs.
Effects on pollinators.
Effects on nutrient cycling in ecosystem.
Effects on soil erosion, structure and fertility.
Effects on water quality.
Effects on birds, animals and human beings.
Alternative methods used to control pests:

Cultivation practices
Bio pesticides
Use of organic acid to inactivate bacteria
Methyl bromide fumigation
Oxygenated Phosphine fumigation
 Advantages:

No harmful residues.
Specific to target pests.
Closely related to organisms.
Effective in small quantity.
Often decomposes quickly.
Improve the food quality.
High yield and reduction of use conventional pesticide.
 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of more

than 100 different chemicals that are released from burning coal,
oil, gasoline, trash, tobacco, wood, or other organic substances
such as charcoal-broiled meat. They are also called poly-nuclear
aromatic hydrocarbons.
Sources of PAHs:

vehicle exhaust
cigarette smoke
eating contaminated food
asphalt roads
volcanoes
waste incineration
Effects on Humans:

Carcinogens
Increasing risks of infection.
Weaken immune responses
Mutagenic
Convulsions
Respiratory tract problems
Liver damage
Breakdown of red blood cells
Lung function abnormalities
Cataracts
 Effects on Environment:

Behavioral abnormalities and birth defects in fish

Highly toxic for fishes.
Toxic effects on terrestrial invertebrates
Anthracene allergic reaction in skin in animals
 Removal of PAHs:

Biodegradation
Photochemical degradation
Dry deposition
Wet deposition
PCBs(polychlorinatedbiphenyls)
These are mixtures of chlorinated hydrocarbons.
PCBs in the environment associate with the organic components of
soil, sediment and biological tissues.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are very stable chemicals, with low
volatility at normal temperature.
PCBs are soluble in most organic solvents but are almost insoluble in
water.
They were used in a wide range of industrial and consumer
products, especially in the oil of electric capacitors.
environmentally hazardous due to their extreme resistance to
chemical and biological breakdown by natural processes in the
environment.
 Sources of PCBs

PCBs have been released into the environment over the years,
without any precautions.
Through open burning or incomplete incineration.
By vaporization (from paints, coatings and plastics).
By leakage of industrial waste into sewers and streams.
By dumping in landfill sites and ocean dumping.
 Environmentally Effects

The disruption of photosynthesis in microscopic plants, to effects on

reproduction in higher animals.
Marine/freshwater invertebrates, fish and birds are particularly
sensitive to PCBs (effects include death of the embryo,
abnormalities at birth).
Long-term exposure can severely affect reproduction.
PCBs are carcinogenic and have immunotoxic effects.
In some species, liver toxicity has been observed.
 Effects on Human

1. Effects in humans after high-level exposure:

Skin rash, eyelid swelling
Hyperpigmentation CHLORACNE
Headaches, vomiting
2. Effects of long-term exposures:
Hepato-, immuno-, reproductive and dermal toxicities
3. Fetal exposures to PCBs:
Neural and developmental changes
Lower psychomotor scores
Short-term memory and spatial learning effects
Long-term effects on intellectual function
 Main route of exposure

MARINE MAMMALS( Whale, Seals)

FISH, Salmon( Eel, Shellfish, Fish liver, Fish oils).
Animal fat( meat, poultry)
OTHER are vegetables, cereals, fruits