Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Directive

Background

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic substances that persist in the environment, accumulate in biological organisms, and pose risks to human health and the environment. They can be transported across international boundaries through air, water, or migrating species, reaching regions where they were never produced or used. Therefore, international cooperation is needed to manage POPs collectively since no single region can manage the risks associated with these substances alone.

Applicable Region

The directive applies to all member states of the European Union. Any product exported to these countries must comply with the directive. The directive is issued by the European Union, and each member state then develops regulations based on this directive.

The 27 member states include Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

About POPs

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances characterized by the following features:

  • Persistence: Tthe strong resistance of a substance to biological degradation (biodegradation), photodegradation, and chemical degradation. These substances are difficult to naturally decompose in the environment and can persist for several years in water and soil.
  • Bioaccumulation: The process where substances accumulate in organisms over time, typically due to a longer metabolic period within the organism. These substances are absorbed through the food chain, resulting in higher concentrations in organisms higher up the food chain.
  • Semi-volatile: Substances that can travel long distances through the air in biological or natural climates, and can even be found in organisms living in polar regions.
  • High toxicity: The dangerous potential of a substance to harm human health and natural ecosystems due to its difficulty in metabolism. Some Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) also possess carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic, reproductive, and immunotoxic effects.

Chemical substances of Persistent Organic Pollutants:

  • Pesticides - such as DDT).
  • Industrial chemicals - (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, widely used in electrical equipment).
  • Unintentional byproducts - Accidental byproducts formed during the manufacturing process through biological degradation or combustion processes (e.g., dioxins, furans) (e.g., from the incineration of electronic waste).

International Regulations Related to Restriction of Persistent Organic Pollutants:

  • Stockholm Convention

    • Objective: The aim is to protect human health and the environment by reducing or eliminating the release of POPs into the environment.
    • Effective Date: The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) officially entered into force on May 17, 2004.
    • Content: The Stockholm Convention categorizes POPs into Annexes A, B, and C, with the aim of eliminating, restricting, and reducing unintentional production of POPs.

    https://topic.epa.gov.tw/pops/cp-56-89-7b556-2.html

    The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a global treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from harmful chemicals that persist in the environment for long periods. Addressing this global issue, the Stockholm Convention requires its parties to take measures to eliminate or reduce emissions of persistent organic pollutants into the environment.

    http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/Overview/tabid/3351/Default.aspx

    Types of POPs regulated under the convention https://topic.epa.gov.tw/pops/cp-57-100-fdc86-2.html

  • EU

European Union currently regulates a total of 359 hazardous substances. A summary of regulated hazardous substances is as follows: https://topic.epa.gov.tw/chemiknowledgemap/sp-toxic-list-1-20-5.html?Chn=&Eng=&Cas=

Hazards to human health pathways include:

  • Inhaling air contaminated with POPs.

  • Drinking water contaminated with POPs.

  • Consuming food contaminated with POPs (such as fatty foods like fish, seafood, meat, and dairy products) or fruits and vegetables with pesticide residues, or ingesting through oral-hand contact with dust containing POPs.

  • Occupational Exposure.

  • Pregnant women are vulnerable to the harmful effects of POPs, as they can pass through the placenta or via breastfeeding into the bodies of fetuses or infants, affecting the health of multiple generations. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are regulated under the Stockholm Convention and the Aarhus Protocol. These regulations are implemented in the European Union through the Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation (POPs Regulation).

Industry Practices

The Persistent Organic Pollutants Directive (POPs) protects human health and the environment through the following specific control measures:

  • Prohibiting or strictly limiting the production, placing on the market, and use of persistent organic pollutants.
  • Minimizing the release of persistent organic pollutants into the environment during manufacturing processes.
  • Ensuring safe management of stocks of restricted persistent organic pollutants.
  • Ensuring environmentally sound disposal of waste containing persistent organic pollutants.

https://echa.europa.eu/understanding-pops

Proposal for new Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

When a new substance is to be included as a POP, it must be listed under the Stockholm Convention or the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Any party to the Stockholm Convention, including the EU, can propose new POPs, which can be added to the Convention's annexes. EU Member States can submit their proposals to the European Commission, which must assess the new substance according to the screening criteria in Annex D of the Convention. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) represents the EU in identifying and proposing new POPs for control under the Stockholm Convention. ECHA assists the Commission and Member States in identifying new POPs and conducts public consultations during the identification process.

Assessment: The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) is an expert body under the Stockholm Convention responsible for evaluating proposals. If a proposal meets the screening criteria, the committee collects information on further hazards, risks, uses, and exposures. POPRC uses this information to develop a risk profile defined in Annex E of the Convention.

The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) decides whether global action should be taken on a substance based on the risk profile. If it decides to proceed, POPRC issues a global call for information on potential risk management solutions, alternatives, socio-economic factors, and existing risk management measures. This information is listed in the risk management evaluation in Annex F of the Convention.

https://echa.europa.eu/proposals-for-new-pops

Planning and Reporting

European Union member states are also required to prepare a monitoring report on the implementation of obligations and submit it to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). This report should be provided at least once every three years, but it should be updated annually if new information becomes available.

The monitoring report includes:

  • Application of POPs, including enforcement activities, infringements, and penalties.
  • Information on exemptions control measures, storage, and waste management measures.
  • Release inventories for substances listed in Annex III of the POPs.
  • Information on national implementation plans, environmental monitoring data for substances listed in Annex III of the POPs.
  • Actual or estimated annual data on total production and placing on the market for substances listed in Annex I or Annex II of the POPs.

https://echa.europa.eu/planning-and-reporting

Understanding Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Directive

Well-known case - Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

The polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) rice bran oil poisoning incident.

The rice bran oil poisoning incident, also known as the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) poisoning incident, occurred in Japan in 1968 and in Taiwan in 1979. Both incidents resulted from the consumption of rice bran oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), leading to symptoms of poisoning.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of synthetic chemicals classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They have the ability to be transported over long distances and are detected in almost all environmental media (including indoor and outdoor air, surface and groundwater, soil, and food). PCBs were widely produced commercially on a large scale worldwide from 1930 to 1980. Due to their chemical stability and heat resistance, they were extensively used as components in electrical and hydraulic equipment as well as lubricants.

The primary applications:

Closed applications- Insulating fluids in electrical equipment such as transformers, capacitors (large industrial capacitors, small capacitors in household appliances), heat transfer, and hydraulic systems.

Open applications- Pesticide extenders, sealants, carbonless copy paper, industrial oils, paints, adhesives, plastics, flame retardants, and used for controlling dust on roads.

In 1970, due to concerns over human toxicity, suspected carcinogenicity, and environmental persistence, some countries restricted the use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Eventually, in 1985, the European Union strictly limited the use and sale of PCBs.

Directive 96/59/EC concerning the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls aims to thoroughly dispose of PCBs and equipment containing them. The directive stipulates requirements for the environmentally sound disposal of PCBs. Member states are required to inventory large equipment containing PCBs, must have plans for disposing of stockpiled equipment, and outline the collection and disposal of non-stockpiled equipment. The PCB Directive further mandates that member states must dispose of large equipment (equipment with a PCB volume exceeding 5 liters) by the end of 2010.

Additionally, the Commission has adopted a Community strategy on dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls aimed at minimizing the release of these substances into the environment and their entry into the food chain as much as possible.

From https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pcbs/index.htm

Related Topics

International Regulations > RoHS International Regulations > REACH

Reference：

ECHA POPs

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