---
title: "Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Definition"
description: "Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that resist degradation and bioaccumulate, posing risks to health and the environment."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/persistent-organic-pollutants"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Persistent organic pollutants are toxic, carbon-based chemicals that resist environmental degradation, bioaccumulate in fatty tissue, and travel long distances through air and water.
- What are the four criteria used to identify a persistent organic pollutant under the Stockholm Convention?
- How do POPs differ from heavy metals like mercury and lead?
- Why is DDT still permitted under the Stockholm Convention?
- What is the 'dirty dozen' in the context of POPs?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 22 May 2001

   The international legal architecture governing these substances rests on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, adopted on and entering…

2. 17 May 2004

   The international legal architecture governing these substances rests on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, adopted on 22 May 2001 an…

3. 13 January 2006

   India ratified the Stockholm Convention on , and Article 7 obliges each party to develop and transmit a National Implementation Plan to the Conference of the…

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Example

India's Supreme Court ordered a nationwide ban on the production, use, and sale of endosulfan in May 2011 after the pesticide—later listed under the Stockholm Convention—caused severe health damage in Kerala's Kasaragod district.

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