Page 235 - 00. Complete Version - Progress Report IPEN 2014-2016

Environmental Science and Technology | Progress Report 235

organic pollutants Mirex, Dieldrin, DDT,
that are regulated Dioxins, Furans,
internationally by PCBs, Endrin, Hep-
the Basel Conven- tachlor, Toxaphene
tion. Among the ma- and BHC), besides
jor POPs, one could the adoption of sci-
cite pesticides, di- entific criteria for
oxins and PCBs that the possible inclu-
represent, according FIGURE 5 – Results from the Caieras sampling site sion of others. The
to the United Nations HCHS, or Hexachlor-
Industrial Development Organization - UNI- cyclohexanes also called BHC or Lindane, are
DO, one of the most serious and urgent prob- organochloride insecticides that have been
lems to be faced, because of, on one hand, its banned in most countries in the 70s and 80s.
wide dissemination in environment and, sec- These compounds are highly stable and toxic to
ondly, because of its properties and character- the environment and living organisms, among
istics, which determine its persistence in soil which are addressed in the work as chlordane
and water. The United Nations Environmen- cis/trans (C10H6Cl8), heptachlor (C10H5Cl7),
tal Protection - UNEP, for example, launched heptachlor epoxide cis/trans (C10H5Cl7) and
a global action for the establishment of an in- the isomers α, α, α and α benzene hexa-chlo-
ternational treaty to reduce and / or eliminate ride BHC (C6Cl6).
emissions and discharges of 12 specific POPs,
also known as “dirty dozen” (Aldrin, Chlordane, Concerned about the importance of the prob-

FIGURE 6 – Sampling sites of Caieras, São Paulo. The numbers represent the sites in figure 1.