Highlights for Friday, 23 November 2007

The third meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-3) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) convened for its final day on Friday 23 November in Geneva, Switzerland, in day and evening plenary sessions.

POPRC-3 adopted risk profiles for four chemicals: commercial octabromodiphenyl (c-octaBDE), pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), and alpha and beta hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha- and beta-HCH). They decided that these chemicals are likely, as a result of their long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects such that global action is warranted. They created Ad Hoc Working Groups to prepare risk management evaluations (RMEs) for each of these substances for consideration at POPRC-4. On short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), as a few members said that there was a need for additional information, the Committee agreed to postpone a decision on the risk profile until POPRC-4 and to request the submission of additional information, in particular on toxicity and long range transport.

POPRC-3 adopted the risk management evaluations (RMEs) for five chemicals: commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether (c-pentaBDE), chlordecone, hexabromobiphenyl (HBB), lindane, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). POPRC-3 agreed to recommend that the Conference of the Parties (COP) list the following substances under Annex A: c-pentaBDE, chlordecone, lindane, and HBB. It agreed to recommend that the COP list PFOS acid, its salt, and PFOS fluoride under Annex A or B.

POPRC-3 agreed to defer consideration of the nomination to list endosulfan until POPRC-4, on the understanding that this would not set a precedent. POPRC-3 members also agreed to conduct intersessional work on enhancing the effective participation of Committee members. POPRC-4 is scheduled to convene from 13-17 October, 2008 in Geneva Switzerland.

POPRC Chair Reiner Arndt (Germany) gaveled the meeting to a close at 10:59pm.