persistent organic pollutant
per-SIS-tent or-GAN-ik puh-LOO-tent
pəˈsɪstənt ɔːˈɡænɪk pəˈluːtəntListen
Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.
Syllable breakdown
Dictionary meaning
a class of chemical compounds that resist environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes, persist in the environment for years to decades, accumulate in fatty tissues of living organisms through bioaccumulation, and are transported globally through atmospheric and oceanic circulation to regions far from any source; POPs include DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and many industrial chemicals; regulated internationally under the Stockholm Convention of 2001, which listed the dirty dozen most hazardous POPs and sought to eliminate or severely restrict their production and use worldwide
Learn one new pronunciation a day
Get a word, name or idiom like “persistent organic pollutant” in your inbox — daily or weekly, free. Unsubscribe any time.