title: Persistent organic pollutants: potential health effects?
abstract: It is not a point of debate that the Stockholm Convention for the prevention of further accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) should be ratified and implemented by all countries. However, in their article, Schafer and Kegley present an unbalanced "worst case scenario". Approximately 20% of the food supply of the US is contaminated with POPs at extremely low levels; these levels are comparable to those found in many other countries. Furthermore, there is no scientific consensus that these levels are hazardous to most humans. More information is needed to determine the actual risks of extremely low levels of POPs to human health.
authors.affiliation: International Programme on Chemical Safety, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Damstra
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Herrman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meredith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010573:Pesticide Residues