Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2010, 7 3624 properties in the environment. This is consistent with incorporating them into the POPs under the Stockholm Convention. 4.1.2. Water Pollution Control Act (WPCA) This Act, passed in Jul. 1974 and amended several times, aims to control water pollution and ensure the cleanliness of water resources in order to maintain ecological systems, to improve the living environment and to promote public health. Under the authorization of the WPCA, the Taiwan EPA in consultation with the relevant industry competent authorities (i.e., Ministry of Economic Affairs) thus promulgated the Effluent Standards. Because pesticides are highly toxic to aquatic organisms and may be discharged from agricultural activities and industrial effluents, some pesticide-POPs, including aldrin, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, and toxaphene, have been designated as target compounds in the Standards, as listed in Table 5. 4.1.3. Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGPRA) This Act, passed in Feb. 1990 and recently amended in Feb. 2010, is formulated to prevent and remediate soil and groundwater pollution, to ensure the sustainable use of soil and groundwater, to improve the living environment, and to promote public health. Under the authorization of the SGPRA, the Taiwan EPA thus promulgated the Soil Pollution Control Standards and the Groundwater Pollution Control Standards, respectively. Because pesticides are likely to be occasionally released into the soil/water environment in agricultural applications and/or non-point sources, some pesticide-POPs, including aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, and toxaphene, have been designated as chemical targets in the Standards, as listed in Table 5. 4.1.4. Marine Pollution Control Act (MPCA) This Act, passed in Nov. 2000, aims to control marine pollution, to protect the marine environment, to maintain the marine ecology, and to safeguard public health and sustainable use marine resources. Under the authorization of the MPCA, the Taiwan EPA thus promulgated the Standards for Marine Environment Categories and Marine Environment Quality based on the marine conditions. Because some pesticide-POPs, which are highly toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms, are likely to be released into the marine environment from agricultural discharges, they have been designated as target chemicals in the Standards, as listed in Table 5. 4.1.5. Environmental Agents Control Act (EACA) This Act, passed in Nov. 1997 and amended several times, is formulated to prevent harm from environmental agents, to maintain human health, and to protect the environment. Under the authorization of the MPCA, the Taiwan EPA announced the prohibited environmental agents, which contain components whose manufacture, processing, import, export, sale, or use have been officially banned. According to the related regulation promulgated by the Taiwan EPA, some pesticide-POPs, including aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, heptachlor, hexachlorocyclohexane, and lindane, have been listed as the prohibited components, which are banned from being used as environmental agents, as listed in Table 5.