The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) held its fifth meeting in Switzerland, from 12 to 16 October 2009. The Committee reviewed data on three chemicals proposed for listing in Annex A, B, and/or C of the Stockholm Convention.

Short chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCP): the Committee reviewed the revised risk profile and decided to postpone a decision to its next meeting. In the meantime it will gather additional information on its environmental and health effects and trends in the levels in the environment.

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD): The Committee reviewed the information provided and concluded that HBCD met the criteria for adverse effects, persistence, and bioaccumulation and long-range transport in Annex D of the Convention and agreed to prepare a risk profile that will be reviewed and considered at its next meeting.

Endosulfan: The Committee reviewed and adopted a revised draft risk profile on Endosulfan by which it agrees that the POP characteristics of the chemical warrant global action. The Committee will develop a Endosulfan risk management evaluation document that includes an analysis of possible control measures for consideration at its next meeting and final recommendation to the COP for its listing in the Annexes of the Convention. Endosulfan is a pesticide that is still widely used on many crops such soy, cotton, rice, and tea. It is highly toxic to humans and many other animals and has been found in the environment, including the Arctic.

The POPRC reviews proposals to add new chemicals to the Stockholm Convention. Its members are scientists representing their regions around the globe, among them representatives from IPEN (the International POPs Elimination Network). The objective of the Convention, which has 166 Parties, is to restrict and eliminate these chemicals from production and use in order to protect human health and the environment.

Currently, there are twenty-one chemicals listed in the Convention including DDT, lindane, PCBs and dioxins and furans and some brominated flame retardants. Since the beginning of its operations, the POPRC has recommended nine chemicals for listing and all nine were accepted by the Conference of the Parties during its meeting in May 2009. However, five of these new POPs are no longer in production. Many exemptions were also made, for example regarding PFOS, a very persistent substance still produced in large volumes to be used for variety of applications such as rain clothes, semiconductors, metal plating and printers.

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For more information about the Stockholm Convention, please contact IPEN

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