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An Assessment of Environmental and Aquatic Ecosystem Contamination by Persistent Organochlorine Pollutants (POPs) in the Russian Federation.By Byron A. Bodo
A study commissioned by the UNEP and WHO GEMS/Water Programme in support of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities. January 1998.
This report reviews what is known about production, usage and general environmental occurrence of selected persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs), a general class of slowly degrading, bioaccumulative xenobiotic compounds that have become ubiquitous contaminants of global ecosystems during the twentieth century. The report examines some particular data sets and case studies that characterize POPs contamination, in particular Russian aquatic systems. Like most industrialized countries, Russia and the former Soviet Union (FSU) produced and used certain POPs in appreciable quantity, but accounts of environmental contamination in Russia and the FSU republics have emerged slowly since the disintegration of the FSU. Discussion focuses mainly on the insecticides DDT and HCH, and the industrial contaminants PCBs and PCDD/Fs (dioxins and furans). DDT and HCH were widely used for agriculture and other purposes since the 1950s. While usage and environmental occurrence have broadly declined since the 1960s and 1970s, lindane ((-HCH) usage may be increasing, and there is evidence of recent DDT usage. Current fragmentary information suggests that POPs contamination of Russian aquatic systems ranges from modest to potentially grave. PCBs may pose the greatest future risks as the current stocks are unknown, and there appear to be no policies too ensure the secure disposal of old electrical equipment.
For further information please contact GEMS/Water (GEMS@cciw.ca).
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