Three other chemicals proposed for listing in the Stockholm Convention on POPs are to be evaluated for management of their risks.

19 October 2012, Geneva – A UN expert body has recommended that the industrial flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) be eliminated from the global marketplace to protect human health and the environment. HBCD is used mainly in expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene. It is also used in textile coatings and in high impact polystyrene for electrical and electronic equipment.

The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee, a subsidiary body of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), adopted a recommendation to include HBCD in the Convention’s Annex A for elimination, with specific exemptions for expanded and extruded polystyrene needed to give countries time to phase-in safer substitutes. The recommendation will now be sent to the Parties to the Stockholm Convention for consideration at the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, scheduled to be held from 28 April to 10 May 2013, in Geneva.

The Committee adopted a total of 12 decisions, including on industrial chemicals chlorinated naphthalenes (CNs) and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), and the pesticide pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its salts and esters, which now will move forward to the next stage of review.

The Committee adopted risk profiles of CNs and HCBD. Regarding short-chained chlorinated paraffins, the Committee agreed that the information was currently insufficient to support a decision on the risk profile and agreed to consider any new information that may be made available to the Committee and to consider the chemical again at its eleventh meeting.

“As the premier scientific body supporting the global elimination of persistent organic pollutants, the POPs Review Committee has built upon its past successes and recommended yet another highly toxic POP – HBCD – for global elimination, and made great progress in its work on several other hazardous chemicals,” said Jim Willis, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Note for Editors:

The Stockholm Convention on POPs regulates chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, to protect human health and the environment globally. Article 8 of the Convention entails the reviewing process of new chemicals and Annex D, Annex E and Annex F specify the information required for the review.

The POPs Review Committee consists of thirty-one scientific experts elected by the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention charged with undertaking scientific review of chemicals proposed for listing. The Committee met in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15 to 19 October 2012.

Chlorinated naphthalenes were used for decades for wood preservation, as an additive to paints and engine oils, and for cable insulation and in capacitors. Until the 1970s, CNs were high volume chemicals.

Hexachlorobutadiene was a widely used fumigant used to control pests and as an industrial solvent. HCBD also occurs as a by-product during production of other chlorinated solvents.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is an organochlorine compound used as a pesticide and a disinfectant. A wealth of data on the adverse effects of pentachlorophenol in mammals show developmental, immunotoxic and neurotoxic effects. Human survivors of toxic exposures may suffer permanent visual and central nervous system damage.

Short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCP) are a group of industrial chemicals used in metalworking, and the formulation and manufacturing of products such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics and metalworking fluids. They are of concern because they are persistent, have been found in remote areas such as the Arctic, and could accumulate to levels that are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms.

The ninth meeting of the POPs Review Committee will be held in Rome, Italy, from 14 to 18 October 2013 back-to-back with the Chemical Review Committee of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.

The following ten persistent organic pollutants had been recommended previously to the Conference of the Parties by the POPs Review Committee and have now been added to the Convention:

• Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane
• Beta hexachlorocyclohexane
• Chlordecone
• Hexabromobiphenyl
• Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether (commercial octabromodiphenyl ether)
• Lindane
• Pentachlorobenzene
• Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride
• Technical endosulfan and its related isomers  
• Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether (commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether)

Contact:

Kei Ohno, Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (UNEP), Geneva, tel. +41 (22) 917 8201, e-mail: kohno@pops.int

Michael S. Jones, Public Information Officer, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (UNEP), Geneva, tel. +41-22-917-8668; (m) + 41-79-730-4495, e-mail: SafePlanet@unep.org

Candidate chemicals to be considered for listing in Annexes A, B, and/or C to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

11 October 2012, Geneva – The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC), a subsidiary body of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), will consider five chemicals proposed for listing in Annexes A, B, and/or C to the Convention, a step which helps eliminate POPs and protect human health and the environment. 

The Committee will consider draft risk profiles of chlorinated naphthalenes, hexachlorobutadiene, a revised draft risk profile of short-chained chlorinated paraffins, and further consider its recommendation to the COP on the listing of hexabromocyclododecane. The Committee will also consider the proposal for listing pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters.

The Committee will then discuss assessment of alternatives to endosulfan, DDT, and the use of PFOS in open applications. ‘Open applications’ is a term used in contrast to applications found in closed systems. In the case of application of a chemical in a closed system, no significant quantities of the chemical are expected to reach humans and the environment during their production and use. With open applications, the opposite is the case.

The Committee will further consider climate change and POPs, the evaluation of brominated diphenyl ethers and PFOS, its salts and PFOSF, work in collaboration with other scientific bodies and the effective participation of parties in the Committee’s work.

The eighth meeting of the POPRC will be held at the Conference Centre Varembé in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15 to 19 October 2012.

Announcements about the meeting will be tweeted @brsmeas.

Contact:

Kei Ohno, Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (UNEP), Geneva, tel. +41 (22) 917 8201, e-mail: kohno@pops.int

Michael S. Jones, Public Information Officer, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (UNEP), Geneva, tel. +41-22-917-8668; (m) + 41-79-730-4495, e-mail: SafePlanet@unep.org

Background:

The eighth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC8) will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15 to 19 October 2012, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG).

During the October meeting, the POPRC will review chemicals proposed for listing in Annexes A, B, and/or C to the Convention and will undertake tasks assigned to it by the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention.

The Committee will consider draft risk profiles of chlorinated naphthalenes, hexachlorobutadiene, a revised draft risk profile of short-chained chlorinated paraffins, and further consider its recommendation to the COP on listing of hexabromocyclododecane. The Committee will also discuss assessment of alternatives to endosulfan, DDT, and PFOS in open applications, climate change and POPs, evaluation of brominated diphenyl ethers and PFOS, its salts and PFOSF, collaboration with other scientific bodies and effective participation of parties in the Committee’s work.

Objectives

The objective of this webinar is to inform parties to the Stockholm Convention and observers to enable them to fully participate in the activities of POPRC8.

Contents

1. Introduction – 5 min.
2. Presentations by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions:
   • Eighth meeting of the POPRC– 20 min.
3. Discussion – 30 min

Target group

Stockholm Convention national focal points, official contact points, permanent missions and interested stakeholders

Schedule and registration

When you register, you will be given additional information regarding the system requirements and instructions on how to log in to the webinar.

Background

Several brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF) were added to the list of substances controlled under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in 2009. These POPs have been and continue to be used for many industrial applications and are contained in a wide variety of consumer goods. The continued and widespread use of these chemicals makes their elimination particularly challenging. As part of a work programme to provide guidance to Parties on how best to restrict and eliminate newly listed chemicals, the POPs Review Committee (POPRC), the scientific subsidiary body of the Convention, developed recommendations on the elimination of BDEs from the waste stream and on risk reduction for PFOS, and its salts and PFOSF. At its fifth meeting in April 2011, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention, took note of the recommendations and encouraged parties and other stakeholders to implement them.

BDEs listed under the Convention have extensively been used as flame retardants mainly in the manufacture of plastics and foams. Such use is prohibited by the Convention but BDEs are still present in previously manufactured articles that, upon reaching their end of life, are either recycled or enter the waste stream. With respect to BDEs, the main objective of the recommendations by POPRC is to eliminate them from the recycling streams as swiftly as possible. The Convention allows the production and use of PFOS and PFOS-related chemicals for a number of applications for which alternatives have to be phased-in or are not yet available. As a result, articles containing PFOS may still be manufactured and wastes containing PFOS will continue to be generated during manufacturing processes and as articles containing PFOS reach their end of life. Recommendations by POPRC address risks arising during the main stages of the life cycle of processes and materials containing PFOS.

By decision SC-5/5, parties were invited to submit to the Secretariat information on their experiences in implementing the recommendations by 6 November 2012, for consideration by the COP at its sixth meeting. Information submitted by parties will also be under consideration by POPRC at its eighth meeting in October 2012.

Objectives

The objective of the webinar is to increase awareness about  the recommendations of POPRC on the restriction and elimination of BDEs and PFOS and the linkages to mechanisms and other activities under the Convention that aim to promote the elimination of these chemicals.

The webinar will cover the following topics:

1. Introduction to BDEs listed under the Convention and PFOS 
2. Challenges for the elimination of these chemicals
3. Recommendations of POPRC for addressing these challenges
4. Related activities under the Convention

Contents

The webinar will last approximately one hour and will be structured as follows:

• Introduction and presentation of participants (5 min)
• BDEs listed under the Convention and PFOS: challenges for elimination (10 min)
• Presentation on the recommendations of POPRC (20 min)
• Related activities under the Convention (5 min)
• Questions and discussions (20 min)

Target group

The present webinar will target:

• Official Contact Points and National Focal Points nominated to represent their countries within the framework of the Stockholm Convention;
• Government representatives involved in the management of hazardous wastes, including competent authorities and national focal points for the Basel Convention
• All stakeholders interested in issues related to the management of hazardous chemicals in articles.

Schedule and registration

The webinars will be conducted in English.

When you register, you will be given additional information regarding the system requirements and instructions on how to log in to the webinar.

Background

The eighth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC8) took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15 to 19 October 2012, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG).

During the eighth meeting, the POPRC reviewed chemicals proposed for listing in Annexes A, B, and/or C to the Convention and undertook tasks assigned to it by the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention.

The Committee considered draft risk profiles of chlorinated naphthalenes, hexachlorobutadiene, a revised draft risk profile of short-chained chlorinated paraffins, and further considered its recommendation to the COP on listing of hexabromocyclododecane. The Committee also discussed assessment of alternatives to endosulfan, DDT, and PFOS in open applications, climate change and POPs, evaluation of brominated diphenyl ethers and PFOS, its salts and PFOSF, collaboration with other scientific bodies and effective participation of parties in the Committee’s work.

Objectives

The objective of this webinar is to inform parties to the Stockholm Convention and observers on the outcomes of POPRC8.

Contents

1. Introduction – 5 min.
2. Presentations by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions:
• Outcomes of the eighth meeting of the POPRC– 20 min.
3. Discussion – 30 min

Target group

Stockholm Convention national focal points, official contact points, permanent missions and interested stakeholders

Schedule and registration

When you register, you will be given additional information regarding the system requirements and instructions on how to log in to the webinar.