Specific pollutants do not respect international boundaries. Some nations try to use the international "commons" as a dump. The most obvious global pollutants are volatile organic pollutants, acid rain, radioactive chemicals, and greenhouse gases that move with air currents; ocean dumping and outfall pipe pollutants that may move in ocean currents and through the food chain; and freshwater pollutants in rivers that border or cross into multiple nations. The pollutants of the global commons require international negotiations and rules to protect each nation's citizens. The difficult issues include harmonizing standards for emissions and enforcement.

globalization, global commons, volatile organic pollutants, radioactive pollutants, greenhouse gases, marine pollution, ocean dumping, watershed management, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Commission on Radiological Protection, International Registry of Potentially Toxic Chemicals, international standards, international monitoring, international enforcement, UNEP International Monitoring Program, international agreements, pollution

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