title: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in South Asian region: a review.
abstract: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are semi volatile organic compounds of global concern. During the last decades, their distribution, sources, transformation, toxicity and accumulation in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have gained significant attention. Many of these chemicals are characterized by long range atmospheric transport potential, and their occurrence in remote areas is attributed to transport of chemicals from places where OCPs are still in use. The South Asia region is a place where primarily emissions are still taking place and thus it is important to assess the status of OCPs pollution. This document provides the historical overview and country specific environmental legislation of OCPs from the South Asian region in the context of their illegal use and storage for extended periods and still until to date. In addition, the current review discusses the existing knowledge on the levels and distribution of OCPs in different environmental compartments of South Asian region. Data on OCPs also highlights the risk assessment of these organic contaminants in the regional environment and spans the long range atmospheric transport phenomena based on Himalayas and Northern mountainous glaciers. Paradoxically in the scientific literature sources, distribution and transport of these organic pollutants in South Asian region are very limited compared to the rest of the world.
authors: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Usman
authors: U
authors: Ali
authors: Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Jabir Hussain
authors: JH
authors: Syed
authors: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan. Electronic address: r_n_malik2000@yahoo.co.uk.
authors: Riffat Naseem
authors: RN
authors: Malik
authors: NILU - FRAM High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, Hjalmar Johansens gt. 14, NO - 9296 Tromsø, Norway.
authors: Athanasios
authors: A
authors: Katsoyiannis
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors: Gan
authors: G
authors: Zhang
authors: Centre for Chemical Managements, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors: Kevin C
authors: KC
authors: Jones
mesh_terms: D001211:Asia, Western; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides
keywords: Atmospheric transport; Distribution; Environmental legislation; Organochlorine pesticides; South Asia; Status