POPs Review Committee recommended hexabromocyclododecane to be listed under the Stockholm Convention
The POPs Review Committee, a scientific body to the Stockholm Convention, adopted more than a dozen separate decisions, including one recommending that the chemical hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) be listed under the Convention.
HBCD is a flame retardant used mainly in polystyrene. It is also used in textile coatings and in high impact polystyrene for electrical and electronic equipment.
The committee also initiated risk profiles of two industrial chemicals newly proposed for elimination under the global chemicals treaty. The committee found evidence that chlorinated naphthalenes and hexachlorobutadiene are persistent organic pollutants, bio-accumulate in organisms (increases in concentration up the food chain), are transported over long distances from their sources, and are toxic to the environment and human health.
Chlorinated naphthalenes (CNs) were used for decades for wood preservation, as additive to paints and engine oils, and for cable insulation and in capacitors. Until the 1970s CNs were high volume chemicals. Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) was a widely used fumigant used to control pests and as an industrial solvent.
17.10.2011
