Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) hot spots in Russia

There are five hot spots of dioxins and PCBs pollution in Russia. These hot spots are situated in various regions of the country, where DDT, PCB, and other chlorinated substances had been produced earlier. Despite phasing-out of these production facilities, high levels of dioxins, PCBs and DDT are routinely detected in the environment. These substances represent chlorinated organic substances that are most frequently found in the environment, food products, or breast milk. The levels of dioxins in breast milk of the residents of Chapaevsk and Ufa are among the highest in the world. These residents have been shown to have health effects, typically caused by persistent organic pollutants (POPs).