Nations plan phase-out of deadly chemicals.

• Author: Myers, Jennifer

In response to growing scientific evidence of the health and environmental risks of chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), government representatives from 120 nations met in Montreal, Canada in June to plan the phaseout of some of these substances. the twelve chemicals on the agenda, including DDT and PCBs, have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, and birth defects in both humans and animals, and are known for their ability to travel long distances on wind or water and to remain in the environment and in human tissue for many years.

Countries in North America and Europe have been drafting regional initiatives to ban these chemicals for the past few years, but the meeting in Montreal marks the first global effort. While most industrialized nations have out-lawed use of these chemicals, they remain in production in several countries, including the United States, from which they are exported for use in controlling insects and pests in less-developed countries. In many tropical regions, the notorious pesticide DDT is still used as the cheapest weapon for controlling malaria and other insect-borne diseases, which kill millions of people each year.

While representatives from all nations at the meeting acknowledged the threat of these chemicals and agreed that action should be taken, developed and developing countries disagreed over the details of implementing a ban. African representatives said that...