ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE PROJECT

From the whole array of organic substances affecting living organisms, the international community had focused on a few especially hazardous ones - so called persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs share several common properties: extremely high toxicity, ability to accumulate in fatty tissues and high stability in natural environments, with very low rates of destruction under impact of natural factors. Moreover, POPs can migrate to very long distances. They were found even in Arctic and Antarctic regions, where they have never been produced or applied. POPs adversely affect all protective systems of the human body - including nervous, endocrine and immune systems. These toxic substances generate toxic effects even at extremely low exposures.

The majority of countries welcome prohibiting of POPs manufacture, elimination of their stockpiles and sources. They reaffirmed their intentions to get rid of these hazardous chemicals by negotiating the Stockholm Convention, which was adopted by governments in May 2001. By February, 2003, Convention has been ratified by 26 countries and signed by 151.

International and non-governmental organisations actively support governmental decisions to implement practical measures for elimination of POPs and mitigation of their post-use effects. Many of them share the common vision of their aims to substantiate health hazards of these substances and to provide necessary information to governmental agencies, businesses and the public at large, allowing them to make informed decisions on POPs.

We hope that this book will become a valuable information resource. The book incorporates results of joint efforts of public health specialists, environmental education professionals, representatives of social and political movements, researchers, experts of international and non-governmental organisations. The book contains information allowing them to make informed decisions of POPs-related matters. It is intended to assist readers to assess health risks associated with persistent organic pollutants.

The book provides information on contemporary POPs elimination efforts at international, national and regional levels. The book will assist policy makers, businessmen, public health professionals and members of the general public in developing their co-operation and reaching mutual understanding for addressing matters, associated with protection of human health from POPs impacts.

We greatly acknowledge contributions of all persons who provided information materials and assisted us in development of the publication, especially: L. Abryutina (Russian Association of indigenous peoples of the North), J. Adibi (Harvard university), E. Basarygina (the Association of Young Scientists of Cheliabinsk State Agro-engineering University), I. Blokov (GreenPeace-Russia), E. Vasilieva (Volgograd - EcoPress), J. Weinberg (the International POPs Elimination Network), B. Kurliandskiy (the Public Health Ministry of the Russian Federation), D. Levashov (ECO-SPES environmental NGO), O. Sergeev (Chapaievsk Medical Association), B. Revich (the Centre of Demography and Human Ecology, the Institute of Forecasting of the Russian National Academy of Sciences), M. Sobol (the Women's Network of the Urals), O. Tsyguleva (MAMA-86-Kharkov), O. Tsitser (the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation), K. Shafer (the International Pesticide Network).

Besides that, information for the publication was also provided by UNEP Chemicals, RF Public Health Ministry, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the International POPs Elimination Network, the Basel Action Network, the Arctic Council, the Pesticide Action Network, and US EPA.

We also used published data of M. Avdeev (Cheliabinsk State Agro-engineering University), E. Volkova (the Ural State Medical Academy), Sh. Galimova (Bashkir State University), Ya. Zhakova (Cheliabinsk State Medical Academy), E. Zhukovskaya (Cheliabinsk Regional Movement "World Gematologists for Children"), G. Lestchenko (Cheliabinsk State Agro-engineering University), G. Lind ("Regulation of Dioxin Levels in Food (EC)", B.Revich, the Institute of Forecasts of RF National Academy of Sciences, E. Sharapova (Moscow Medical Academy), G. Tiutina (Municipal Department on Culture, Cheliabinsk), A. Uralshin (Cheliabinsk Oblast Centre for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control).

The book incorporates also some sections of reports, published by Eco-Accord Centre in its brochure "Persistent Organic Pollutants and Human Health" (Moscow, 2001).

The publication was developed within the framework of the project " Empowering Russian Public To Take Actions Towards POPs Elimination" being implemented by Eco-Accord Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development. The project is being implemented in co-operation with Russian and international organisations, in partnership with UNEP Chemicals and with financial support of the Government of Canada. The project stipulates broad exchange of views on health impacts of POPs, relevant international and national decisions; activities of different organisations in the sphere of POPs' elimination and opportunities for public participation in these activities.

The project participants express their sincere gratitude to the Government of Canada for its support for this project through its Canada POPs Fund that has made possible this publication, the holding of regional workshops in Chapaievsk and Cheliabinsk on health impacts of POPs, and the broad dissemination of materials of POPs problems in Russia and other NIS.

Центр "Эко-Согласие" 2003 год