Dirty dozens

Barriers to Pollution Prevention ( The Dirty Dozen ) There are numerous reasons why more businesses are not reducing the wastes they generate. The following dirty dozen are common disincentives ... 

Reduced wa.ste-treatment co.sts. As discussed in reason no. 5 of the dirty dozen, the increasing costs of traditional end-of-pipe waste-management practices are avoided or reduced through the implementation of pollution-prevention programs. 

A list of hazardous environmental chemicals, sometimes referred to as the dirty dozen, has been drawn up by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These are ... 

Growing concern about adverse environmental effects led to severe restrictions and bans in many developed countries since the early 1970s. As one of the so-called dirty dozen DDT is nowadays banned in many nations, namely those who ratified the Stockholm Convention 2 [UNEP (2001)], although it is still used in developing... 

Chlorinated micropoUutants are harmful for man and environment due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation. Persistent compounds are very stable and difficult to get metabolized and mineralized by biological and chemical processes in the environment, and as a result, they have become ubiquitous in water, sediments, and the atmosphere bioaccumulation is the result of the lipophilicity of these compounds. Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and -furans (PCDD/F) are not produced purposely like many of other chlorinated technical products, such as chlorinated biocides DDT, lindane, and toxaphene. The production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), the dirty dozen has now been banned worldwide by the Stockholm protocol. It should be mentioned that about 3000 halogenated products have now been isolated as natural products in plants, microorganisms, and animals," but the total amount of these products is much smaller compared to xenobiotics. 

These two positions were in conflict in 2001 when representatives from 127 nations met in Stockholm to consider a universal ban on 12 TOCs, commonly known as the "dirty dozen." The dirty dozen includes aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, DDT, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, and Mirex. After extended discussion and debate, representatives adopted a final document now known as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The document was signed on May 22, 2001, and entered into force on May 17, 2004, at which point the required minimum of 50 nations had ratified the treaty. 

Frontline, A Dirty Dozen, Dangerous Prescription. Available online. URL http //www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/prescription/etc/dozen.html. Posted November 13, 2003. 

The POP protocol elaborated on occasion of the Stockholm Convention in 2001 contained 12 compounds, known as the dirty dozen aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, HCB, mirex, PCBs, pol veil I orod i be nzo-/ -d i ox ins. polychlorodibenzofurans and toxaphene. After several years of implementation other compounds, were also included HCHs, PAHs, certain brominated flame retardants, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and pentachlorobenzene (http // www.chem.unep.ch/pops/). This protocol is aimed to control, reduce and/or eliminate discharges, emissions and spills of POPs into the environment. 

In the present study, 17 compounds including dirty dozen POPs (OCPs, PCDDs/DFs, PCBs), two emerging POPs (PBDEs and PFAs), and two potential POPs (APs and PAHs) in the South Korean environment were reviewed (Table 2.1 and 2.2). Among the 17 POPs, the most studied pollutant was determined to be chlorinated dioxins and dioxin-like compounds such as PCDDs/DFs and dioxin-like PCBs for which occurrence, distribution, contamination level, fate, exposure, and control techniques have been fairly thoroughly investigated. The literature on dioxin research included 42 SCI articles and 57 domestic articles. Because most of... 

PAHs are not included in the list of dirty dozens POPs of the Stockholm Convention. However, in addition to 12 existing POPs, UN/ECE (United Unions Economic Commission for Europe) considers PAHs, HCHs, chlorodecone, and hexabromobiphenyl as potential POPs to be restricted based on The New Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Convention on Long-range Trans-boundary Air Pollution adopted in 1998. PAHs may be listed as POP in the future Stockholm Convention. 

The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty committing the international community to protecting human health and the environment from the potentially harmful effects of POPs (UNEP Chemicals, 2005). The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has identified 12 most toxic POPs (the Dirty Dozen ) for control under the Convention, including 10 intentionally produced POPs pesticides/industrial chemicals (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, toxaphene and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) and two unintentionally produced POPs by-products (polychlorinated dibenzo-/ -dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)). In implementing the Convention, Parties to the Convention will take measures to restrict the trade, production and use of the intentional POPs and to reduce and, where possible, to ultimately eliminate the production and release of the unintentional POPs by-products. 

The global POPs agreement initially covers the dirty dozen, which includes nine pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexa-chlorobenzene, mirex, and toxaphene), and three industrial chemicals (PCBs) and unintentional by-products (dioxins and furans) of industrial and combustion... 

Fig. 2.2 The dirty dozen of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and effects of photo-initiated processes (and of AOPs/AOTs in general) generating a convenient sink.

Heavy metals are important members of Dirty Dozen Club of toxic pollutants encountered in various ecosystems of the environment. The dissolved metals (particularly heavy metals) escaping into the environment pose a serious health hazard. These metals have been classified as priority pollutants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Heavy metal pollution in the aquatic system has become a serious threat today and of great environmental concern as they are nonbiodegradable... 

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