Question

The Stockholm Convention aims to protect human health and environment from which types of pollutants?

• A. Ozone-depleting substances
• B. Greenhouse gases
• C. Heavy metals
• D. Persistent organic pollutants

Hint:

• The Stockholm Convention specifically targets Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
• POPs are toxic chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and prone to long-range transport.
• Examples include certain pesticides (DDT), industrial chemicals (PCBs), and byproducts (dioxins).
• The convention aims to eliminate or restrict their production, use, trade, and release.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs are chemical substances that:

• Persist in the environment for long periods.
• Bioaccumulate in fatty tissues of living organisms and biomagnify through food chains.
• Are prone to long-range environmental transport (can travel far from their sources).
• Have adverse effects on human health and the environment.

The Convention initially targeted 12 POPs (the "dirty dozen"), including pesticides like DDT, industrial chemicals like PCBs, and unintended byproducts like dioxins and furans. The list has since been expanded to include more chemicals. Option (d) "Persistent organic pollutants" directly matches the focus of the Stockholm Convention. Other options: Option (a) Ozone-depleting substances: Regulated by the Montreal Protocol. Option (b) Greenhouse gases: Addressed by the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement. Option (c) Heavy metals: Some heavy metals (like mercury, lead, cadmium) are toxic pollutants and are addressed by other conventions (e.g., Minamata Convention on Mercury) or national regulations, but they are not the primary focus of the Stockholm Convention, which deals with organic pollutants. \[ \boxed{\text{Persistent organic pollutants}} \]