Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in harbor sediments from Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Organochlorine compounds are a class of pollutants considered toxic to humans, fish and wildlife, and show great potential for accumulation and persistence in the environment. In May 1995, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Governing Council adopted Decision 18/32 (GC18/32) on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), the goal of which was to initiate an expeditious assessment process, initially beginning with twelve priority POPs: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs or dioxins), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, endrin, chlordane, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, toxaphene and heptachlor. In 1997, based on recommendations from the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS), UNEP decided that immediate international action should be initiated to protect human health and the environment by reducing and/or eliminating emissions and discharges of the twelve persistent organic pollutants (the ‘dirty dozen’) specified by GC18/32. UNEP decision GC19/13C proposed a series of immediate action responses based on the IFCS recommendations: (1) general awareness of POPs; (2) information exchange between countries and organizations; and (3) improved availability of information and expertise on alternatives to POPs (UNEP, 2001 UNEP. 2001. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. . English. PDF (accessed 29.09.08.).UNEP, 2001). In accordance with the mandates of UNEP GC18/32, GC19/13C and GC20/24, the first global legally binding instrument on POPs, ‘The Stockholm Convention’, was agreed upon. Trinidad and Tobago declared its accession to this in December 2002 and the Convention became legally binding in 2004 after France became the fiftieth country to ratify the agreement...