The environment is contaminated with petroleum products, radioactive fallout from nuclear testing and fallen rocket debris. About 40 per cent of reindeer pastures are no longer usable. ’ Lack of sewage facilities in the North adds to water pollution. Among the most dangerous of these toxins are persistent organic pollutants (POPs)—pesticides, industrial chemicals and by-products—that have a particular combination of physical and chemical properties that, when released into the environment, remain intact for years.