Keep the Promise, Eliminate POPs in Waste! 

POPs in waste lead to POPs in food

There are different pathways leading to POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) content in waste.

It can be for example:

- obsolete pesticides that include POPs like DDT, hexachlorobenzene, lindane and others which have become waste

- transformers, capacitors and other equipment with oils including polychlorinated biphenyls and/or terphenyls

- waste from destroyed buildings that were contaminated by POPs (chemical plant in which POPs were produced or could originate as unintentionally produced chemicals, pesticides storage, storage for waste which contained POPs etc.)

- residues from processes where POPs such as dioxins (PCDD/Fs), PCBs and/or HCB are unintentionally produced (typical categories of such wastes are waste incineration residues, sewage sludge from chlorine chemical plants etc.)

- contaminated soils and sediments

Below are listed some examples of POPs levels in different wastes and/or contaminated soils and their comparison with levels of food contamination related to these levels. Compare them with current POPs limits in food and proposed "low POPs content" limits for waste under which POPs waste can be handled, as a raw material for example. There is clear evidence that much lower levels of POPs in soils/wastes than those proposed as "low POPs content limits" under EC regulation on POPs has led to the serious contamination of food.

Poultry eggs

Poultry meat