Once,
not too long ago and within the living memory of
Native Alaskans, the Arctic was a pristine wilderness
where POPs were never used and could not
be detected in wildlife or humans. But the face of
Alaska is changing, with increasing urbanization,
industrialization, extractive resource activity, and
commercial and social contacts with the global
community. Accompanying these changes are
concerns that the physical, climatic, and social
aspects that make Alaska unique--particularly for
the indigenous population--also make this region
peculiarly prone to risks from global pollutants.