Some can be transported great distances in the atmosphere, are deposited in the oceans and freshwater bodies, and tend to concentrate in colder climates such as Canada's North.
POPs are semi-volatile chemicals.
After their release into the environment, they travel in multiple cycles of evaporation, transport by air and condensation. Called the grasshopper effect, this process allows POPs to travel great distances quickly. In the cold climate of the Arctic, low evaporation rates trap POPs, and so they enter the food chain. In Canada, the highest concentrations of POPs are found in the Arctic, the Great Lakes and in the St. Lawrence basin. POPs tend to concentrate in colder climates such as Canada's north.