May-15-2023
POPs
Hazardous chemicals
At the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention on 5 May 2023, more than 120 countries agreed to add 2 plastic chemicals and one pesticide to the Conventions lis...
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At the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention on 5 May 2023, more than 120 countries agreed to add 2 plastic chemicals and one pesticide to the Conventions list of substances for global elimination (Annex A). The delegates to the COP found that the chemicals, the plastic additive UV-328, the flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (also often used in plastics), and the pesticide methoxychlor all meet the Convention criteria as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) required for a global ban.
The uses and hazards of the 3 substances are:
|
Substance
|
Use
|
Hazard
|
|
UV-328
|
-
Automotive paints, coatings, sealants, adhesives, plastics and rubbers to protect materials from UV light-induced degradation or color-change
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Additives and printing inks in the plastics and rubbers for outdoor furniture, construction materials and food packaging (in non-
food contact layer) and wood products
|
|
|
Dechlorane Plus
|
-
Flame retardant in adhesives, sealants and polymers
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Used in cables, wires and in motor vehicles
|
Â
|
|
Methoxychlor
|
-
Pesticide used to protect crops, ornamentals, livestock, and pets against fleas, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and other insects.
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Replacement for DDT
|
|
However, time-limited exemptions were agreed on for the use of UV-328 and Dechlorane Plus. The expemtions are summarised in the tables below.
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UV-328
|
|
For 5 years after the amendment takes effect
|
-
Motor vehicles
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Mechanical separators in blood collection tubes
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Industrial coating applications for automotive coating, engineering coating, rail transit coating, and heavy-duty coating for large steel structures
-
Tri-acetyl cellulose (TAC) film in polarizers and photographic paper
|
|
Replacement parts for these applications until the end of service life of the articles or 2044, whichever comes earlier
|
-
Motor vehicles
-
Stationary industrial machines for use in agriculture, forestry and construction
-
Liquid crystal displays in medical and in-vitro diagnostic devices
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Liquid crystal displays in instruments for analysis, measurement, control, monitoring, testing, production and inspection
|
Â
|
Dechlorane Plus
|
|
Specific exemptions for the production and/or use for 5 years after the amendment takes effect
|
|
|
For replacement parts, and repair of, in these applications until the end of service life of the articles or 2044, whichever comes earlier
|
-
Aereospace
-
Space
-
Defence
-
Motor vehicles
-
Stationary industrial machisnes for use in agriculture, forestry and construction
-
Marine, garden, forestry and outdoor power equipment
-
Medical devices and in vitro diagnostic devices
-
Medical imaging and radiotherapy devices and installations
-
Instruments for analysis, measurements, control, monitoring,
testing, production and inspection
|
Several countries called for labelling of products that contain the 2 plastic additives while others opposed. The Convention’s Scientific Review Committee plans to evaluate options for identifying POPs in products and waste.
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