Children are most susceptible to damage from exposure to toxic chemicals. While people who live or work near sources of POPs pollution are heavily exposed to these toxins, POPs pollution is truly a global problem. Polar bears, whales and Inuit people living far from any industry now carry extremely high levels of POPs in their body tissue because POPs travel long distances on atmospheric currents and by water, accumulating heavily in the polar regions. POPs accumulate in living tissue, becoming concentrated in predators that consume contaminated prey and increasing in concentration as they pass up the food chain.
Offspring are most at risk from POPs contamination.
Greenpeace Many scientists and tribal people consider POPs to be the greatest threat to the longterm survival of Indigenous Peoples. This is due to many reasons, including their close relationship with their environment and food supply. The Greenpeace video, Drumbeat for Mother Earth , features testimony from a variety of Indigenous Nations in the U.S., Central America, and the Arctic as well as interviews with scientists, activists and the chemical industry. It was produced by Greenpeace and Indigenous Environmental Network and has won awards at several prominent film festivals and has been shown at the United Nations Environmental Program meeting on POPs in Geneva. Watch a preview of the video .