11. Lake Charles / Calcasieu Estuary, USA, Louisiana - NORTH AMERICA

The dumping of “heavy ends” (tars) from the production of chlorinated solvents and vinyl chloride (VCM) by PPG Industries, Inc.; Condea-Vista; Conoco between 1962 and 1976. PPG dumped at least 120,000 tons of dioxin-contaminated wastes (heavy ends) into the bayou at edge of the company’s property.

Source categories of waste contamination by POPs:

  Landfilling/dumping/open burning of wastes
  Chemical industry

Data about POPs levels in different environment compartments:

  Waste residue
  Food (milk, eggs)
  Human tissues (breast milk, blood)

POPs - Persistent Organic Pollutants:

  Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (dioxins)
  Polychlorinated Biphenyls
  Hexachlorobenzene