Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances

Okay kiddo, did you know that some things can stick around in our environment for a really long time, and they might not be very good for us? These things are called persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances, or PBTs for short. Let me break it down for you:

- "Persistent" means that these substances don't break down easily in the environment. Instead, they can stick around for years, even decades, and keep causing problems.
- "Bioaccumulative" means that these substances can build up in living things, like animals and plants. So if a little bit of the substance gets into the body of an animal, it may not harm them right away. But if they keep getting exposed over time, the substance can reach harmful levels.
- "Toxic" means that these substances can be bad for our health, even in small amounts. They can cause all sorts of problems, from damage to our organs to developmental issues.

So basically, PBTs are substances that are hard to get rid of in the environment, can build up in living things, and can be harmful to our health. That's why it's important to be careful about what we use and throw away, so we don't contribute to the problem.