Question

Chlordecone and Pentachlorobenzene, sometimes seen in the news are related to :

1. Cancer drugs
2. Artificial sweeteners
3. Persistent Organic Pollutants(POP’s)
4. Preservatives

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : Persistent Organic Pollutants(POP’s)

The correct answer is ​Persistent Organic Pollutants(POP’s).

In News -

• Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, in October 2020 ratified the ban of seven Persistent Organic Pollutants(POP’s) listed under the Stockholm Convention.
• Considering its commitment towards providing a safe environment and addressing human health risks, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had notified the Regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants Rules, on March 5, 2018, under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• The regulation inter alia prohibited the manufacture, trade, use, import and export of seven chemicals namely -
  • Chlordecone
  • Hexabromobiphenyl
  • Hexabromodiphenyl ether and Heptabromodiphenylether (Commercial octa-BDE)
  • Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and Pentabromodiphenyl ether (Commercial Penta-BDE)
  • Pentachlorobenzene
  • Hexabromocyclododecane, and
  • Hexachlorobutadiene,
• These were already listed as POPs under Stockholm Convention. Hence statement 3 is correct.

• The Stockholm Convention - 
  • The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs, which are identified chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate in living organisms, adversely affect human health/ environment and have the property of long-range environmental transport (LRET).
  • India had ratified the Stockholm Convention on January 13, 2006