Research status and regulatory challenges of persistent organic pollutants in Sierra Leone

Abstract

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are harmful substances that pose an unreasonable risk to human health and the environment. An international consensus was reached in 2001 to regulate the production, distribution, use and disposal of POPs under the Stockholm Convention. Sierra Leone signed and ratified the convention in 2003, and it has so far developed two national implementation plans (NIPs). The current study aims to review the state of knowledge on POPs, and to discuss their regulatory challenges in Sierra Leone. The literature search was conducted in Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis, Elsevier/ Science Direct, Wiley Online Library, ResearchGate, Google, and Google Scholar databases to retrieve studies of POPs in Sierra Leone. Out of the papers retrieved, only eight met the inclusion criteria and thus were captured in the analysis. Four out of the 8 papers were published before the adoption of the Stockholm Convention, while the remaining four were published after the convention entered into force in 2004. The review results showed that POPs have been investigated in air, dumpsite environment, fish, plant foliage, human serum, and body lice. The studied POPs include organochlorine pesticides and their isomers, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans. Because the investigated POPs are largely undocumented in Sierra Leone it was impossible to show the concentration trend over the years. A range of challenges are hampering the management and regulation of POPs. Lack of decontamination and destruction facility for environmentally sound management of POPs stockpiles and wastes, weak laboratory and inadequate human resources capacity for monitoring POPs, and low public awareness of the use and effects of POPs are some of these challenges. Therefore, strengthening laboratory capacity and enhancing technical competence will the improve monitoring of POPs. Improvement of public awareness and abatement options will mitigate the risk posed by POPs to humans and the environment.