Levels and trend of persistent organic pollutants in representatively selected sites of Vietnam’s environment

Global contamination and toxic effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been a major environmental issue and have received considerable attention during the past few decades. The contamination by POPs has been more serious in industrialized nations. Numerous investigations have highlighted the Asia-Pacific region as a potential source of emission of these chemicals. The East Asian region has also been actively involved in the POPs debate. In its previous activities from 1996 to 2002, the United Nation University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) has conducted monitoring of many POP compounds in this region. However, there is still a need for developing an extensive database of the level of POPs in various compartments of the environment. After 2002, UNU-ISP and the Shimadzu Corporation have further strengthened their activities with a focus on developing capacities of Asian countries to analyze POPs in ecosystems and water resources. Vietnam, one of the developing countries on the way to becoming an industrialized nation, has been participating in the POP monitoring activities.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Responsible Consumption and Production

Climate Action

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions