ESDOs POPs / PTS Actions
A Brief about POPs and ESDO actions

What are POPs?

POPs stand for “Persistent Organic Pollutants” is used to desirable a class of toxic chemical substances that can harm human health and the environment. POPs are long-lasting substances that are produced for use as patricides, industrial chemicals, and unwanted byproducts of certain chemicals or combustion processes.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are carbon containing chemical compounds that, to a varying degree, resist photochemical, biological and chemical degradation. POPs are often halogenated and characterise by low water solubility and high lipid solubility, leading, together with their persistence, to bioaccumulation in fatty tissues. They are also semi-volatile, a property which permits these compounds either to vaporise or to be adsorbed on atmospheric particles. They therefore undergo long range transport in air and water from warmer to colder regions of the world.

Although many different chemicals, both natural and anthropogenic (i.e. produced by man), may be defined as POPs, 12 POPs, all chlorine-containing organic compounds, have been chosen as priority pollutants by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for their impact on human health and environment. The twelve POPs include many of the first generation organochlorine insecticides, e.g. DDT, aldrin, industrial chemical products, e.g. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) or, unwanted by-products such as dioxins and furans.

As we know persistent organic pollutants (POPs) representing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, PCBs, and organochlorine insecticides are lipophilic stable contaminants.

They have been detected in a wide range of environmental media and biota, and have been of great concern on their toxic effect on humans and wildlife.

Use & Sources of POPs:

Most, but not all, of the nine pesticides in question are still in use or existing in Bangladesh. However, the actual quantity that have been currently using is unknown. There are no central registers or list in Bangladesh has use, although some INGO, like the FAO and the World Bank have begun to assemble aggregate use data. The cumulative production of most of the compounds as of approximately 1987, Thus while country specific data were not found. While this does not tell enough about usage to know specifically where and how much of these compounds are being used it does show that the compounds are in fact still in use and aids in forming a general picture of use patterns.

•  In Bangladesh so fear the activities concern and document prevailed in only ESDO (Environment and Social Development Organization) is a single NGO involved in the POPs activities and be in the IPEP / IPEN member organization in Bangladesh

•  ESDO as imitated awareness campaign on POPs since September 2003 and involved with IPEP / IPEN since November 2004

•  ESDO has organized a tow days long “National Workshop on POPs”. This was schedule on February 19-20,206. The workshop has been the major step to integrate all section of citizens for a large POPs awareness campaign. By this time Dr. Hossain Shahriar and his team in ESDO done a comprehensive study and prepare a country situation report on POPs , which has presented on the workshop

•  About 25 GO; NGO, Media and Educational Institutions representatives has taken pert in the workshop

Public Awareness Activities

POPs public awareness campaign are not initiated widely in Bangladesh from govt. site. But with a very minimum resource ESDO has initiated POPs awareness action in school level and amongst its targeted people.