EnvironmEntal and biotic contamination by pErsistEnt organic pollutants (pops) in thE asia-pacific rEgion

This article reviews the results of comprehensive investigations conducted in our laboratory, Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University over the past three decades on the distribution, sources, temporal trends and toxic impacts of the bioaccumulative persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Asia-Pacific region with a particular emphasis on the developing countries. Prominent contamination was found in the regions where they have been heavily used. The eastern Asian region is probably a potential source of pollution, particularly by the new contaminants such as polybrominated diphenyls ethers (PBDEs). These groups of contaminants, together with polychlorinated biphenyls, exhibited either decreasing or increasing trends depending on the extent of industrialization in the Asian developing region, indicating the necessity for long term monitoring. The open dumping sites for municipal wastes in major cities are significant sources of many toxic chemicals, and these areas are probably one of the challenges for future research due to the possible long term impacts on the environmental quality and human health. The formation of dioxins and related compounds in such dumping sites and their elevated residues found in breast milk of residents living in and around warrant long term impacts of dioxins upon next generations. Comprehensive and long term monitoring programs are still urgently needed with close collaboration and proper capacity building in developing countries in order to mitigate POPs emission and their risk on ecosystems and human health.