(Geneva, Switzerland) After convening for a full week in Geneva, narrowingly avoiding a break-down of negotiations on the last day, government delegates to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) added nine new chemicals to its list of substances that governments must control.

The decision confirmed avaliable scientific evidence that these chemicals, often used in household and consumer products, are persistent, have a tendency to travel long distances and cause harm to human health and the environment.

See the SIN List!

'This historic decision is an important step forward in the implementation of the Stockholm Convention', according to Nardono Nimpuno, ChemSec Senior Policy Advisor. 'By adding these nine chemicals, defining them as Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Convention continues to contribute to a move away from the widespread use of persistent, high concern chemicals. It also confirms the work that is being done within the scope of the ChemSec SIN project'.

However, due to products on the market that already contain these persistent chemicals, as well as due to wastes from such products, human exposure to these chemicals continues.

Regrettably, for three of the nine listed, i.e. the two brominated flame retardants pentaBDE and octaBDE and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) the control measures approved are not only inadequate, but also clearly inconsistent with the objective of the Stockholm Convention to protect human health and the environment.

For example, the convention added provisions allowing the continued recycling and reuse of products contaminated with the listed brominated flame retardants until 2030.

'The decision to allow the continued recycling and reuse of products containing these brominated flame retardants until 2030 is nothing short of preposterous', says ChemSec Director Anne-Sofie Andersson. 'The information on these high concern chemicals is available. New production of both pentaBDE and octaBDE has stopped. Yet not only will exemptions allow these harmful substances to re-enter production-lines, with a continued risk of exposure and harm, but in addition, products containing these unwanted chemicals will be exported from richer countries to developing countries, which lack capacity to manage the problems, and higher risks of contamination and harm'.

For the third listed chemical, PFOS, ongoing production and 15 or more uses will be allowed to continue, including uses that disburse PFOS directly into the environment, such as in fire fighting foams and pesticides.

As described by IPEN, the International POPs Elimination Network, PFOS is so persistent that it has shown no degradation under any environmental condition tested. In one study of 299 infants in the United States, PFOS was found in the blood of 297 of them.

PFOS is listed by ChemSec on the SIN List as a Substance of Very High Concern.

The nine new chemicals now listed under the Stockholm Convention are:

- Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane to Annex A;
- Beta hexachlorocyclohexane to Annex A;
- Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl
ether to Annex A;
- Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether to Annex A;
- Chlordecone to Annex A;
- Hexabromobiphenyl to Annex A;
- Lindane to Annex A;
- Pentachlorobenzene to Annex A and C;
- Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid(PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride to Annex A or B;

The 12 initial POPs covered by the Convention include nine pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex and toxaphene); two industrial chemicals (PCBs as well as hexachlorobenzene, also used as a pesticide); and the unintentional by-products, most importantly dioxins and furans.

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