The UNDP-GEF POPs Resource Kit - International POPs Elimination ...

Scientists researching population declines in wildlife made the first important
discoveries about the harm POPs cause. These scientists observed a range of health injuries
in birds, fish and mammals, and they discovered that these injuries were associated with
POPs in the environment. Predator species often suffered the greatest harm: species whose
diet is largely meat and fish.
Wildlife species exposed to POPs in the environment may exhibit any of a number of
different kinds of injury. These include:
• Reproductive failure and population declines;
• Abnormally functioning thyroids and other hormone system dysfunctions;
• Feminization of males and masculinization of females;
• Compromised immune systems;
• Behavioral abnormalities;
• Tumors and cancers; and
• Gross birth defects.
Many scientists noted that POPs also are widely present in human food. This raised
the question: if POPs injure wildlife, do POPs also cause injury in humans?
When scientists and medical researches looked into this question, they determined
that the answer is: “Yes!”
Scientists analyzed human tissue samples and human blood samples. They found that
POPs and other man-made toxic chemicals are present in the bodies of people, everywhere.
Some groups of people are especially contaminated. These include farmers and
workers who are exposed to POPs in their occupations. Subsistence hunters and fishers in
some regions are also sometimes highly exposed.
Human exposure to POPs, however, is not limited to specific occupations or to
certain regions. POPs can be found in the blood and in the tissues of the general human
population in all parts of the world. As a result, POPs are now a legitimate and important
cause for concern, everywhere.
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