Persistence and Bioaccumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Soil and Aquatic Ecosystems: Syrian Frontiers in Ecology and Environment

Abstract

In Syria, there are no effective chemicals management programmes including any estimation and assessment programmes to screen organic chemicals for bioaccumulation potential from regulatory and resource implications are conducted yet. An important issue of excessive organic hazardous substances exposure of inhabitants living in Barada basin (Southwest) was not investigated. Among these danger substances, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have specific properties make them possible linger in soil and water for so many years. Considering the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and enabling activities for the Stockholm convention on POPs related to the national implementation plan for Syria, the current paper presents the results of the analysis of the persistence of chemicals in surface water and ground water samples gathered from different locations in this basin. The study was conducted in 2007-2008, the biodegradability under laboratory and filed conditions were assessed, half?lives of priority pollutants were predicted, and data were monitored and compared. The level of POPs in a larger percentage of the samples exceeded guidelines which results a call for additional protective measures for a sustainable water management for producing clean water involving reduction strategies to mitigate the POPs concentrations in the indoor environment of Barada, and safely destroy them.