Implementing the Stockholm Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

n the forthcoming months many scientific , technical, and political energies will be devoted throughout the world to design specific plans to implement the Stockholm Treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). 1–4 Drawn under the leadership of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)—with significant contributions from non-governmental organisations, trade unions, and private companies—it has been saluted as " a global public health treaty " , one that will " protect public health both from DDT and malaria " , " the first global agreement ever to seek to ban an entire class of chemicals because of their direct effects on human health ". 3 4 After four years of work, in December 2000 this " international legally binding instrument " was finalised. In May 2001 delegates from over one hundred countries (including the United States, Canada, and all members of the Euro-pean Union) signed the accord in Stock-holm. It is expected to be put into effect by 2004, after 50 nations have ratified it (so far, eight countries have done so). 1 Meanwhile, governments can facilitate voluntary implementation of the agreement prior to its entry into force. Implementation of the treaty at all population levels (municipal, regional, continental) constitutes a fantastic opportunity to foster changes in environmental , occupational, public health, and food policies. But the challenges are immense. The substances covered by the treaty are eight pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, and toxaphene), two industrial chemicals (hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlo-rinated biphenyls (PCBs)), and two POP by-products (dioxins and furans). 1 2 The first 10 compounds, except DDT, are included in Annex A (elimination): the aim is to cease their production, use, and trade. The agreement prohibits production of PCBs immediately, and requires countries to remove from use all equipment containing PCBs, which should be phased out in the next quarter century or so. Annex B (restriction) deals with DDT: its use is accepted for the purpose of disease vector control, and as intermediate in the production of dicofol; countries that have requested to do so are allowed to continue using DDT against malaria, until effective and affordable alternatives are available. Annex C (unintentional production) addresses the release reduction of the unintentional production by an-thropogenic sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorin-ated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), HCB, and PCBs. 1 2 During the treaty negotiations, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), chlo-rdecone, hexabromobiphenyl, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other substances with characteristics similar to …