Despite the opposing views, a consensus is said to have emerged at the Johannesburg talks that DDT should not be phased out without the development of effective alternatives for controlling malaria. The convention will be signed in Stockholm in May and become a legally binding treaty once it has been signed by 50 countries. Mr Buccini said this should be achieved within four or five years. The agreement was praised by some of the conservationists who had attended the talks as observers. It's a strong treaty.
Pops differ from other pollutants because they are extremely difficult to break down.
They can persist in the environment for many years, and can be absorbed by plants and animals.