In a recent set of marathon talks that went down to -- and past -- the wire, delegates from more than 120 countries hashed out the first international treaty designed to eliminate some of the world's most toxic chemicals.
Although most of the substances have been banned in Japan for years, some are still in circulation, making the task of finding and destroying them tricky.
The preliminary text of a treaty to remove 12 toxic chemicals known as the "dirty dozen" -- including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin and DDT -- was agreed upon Dec. 10 in Johannesburg. After its approval at a diplomatic gathering in May, and later ratification and entry into force, signatories will be obligated to eliminate these Persistent Organic Pollutants.