PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - T Damstra
AU  - S W Page
AU  - J L Herrman
AU  - T Meredith
TI  - Persistent organic pollutants: potential health effects?
AID  - 10.1136/jech.56.11.824
DP  - 2002 Nov 01
TA  - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
PG  - 824--825
VI  - 56
IP  - 11
4099  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/56/11/824.short
4100  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/56/11/824.full
SO  - J Epidemiol Community Health2002 Nov 01; 56
AB  - It is not a point of debate that the Stockholm Convention for the prevention of further accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) should be ratified and implemented by all countries. However, in their article, Schafer and Kegley present an unbalanced “worst case scenario”. Approximately 20% of the food supply of the US is contaminated with POPs at extremely low levels; these levels are comparable to those found in many other countries. Furthermore, there is no scientific consensus that these levels are hazardous to most humans. More information is needed to determine the actual risks of extremely low levels of POPs to human health.