In mid-June, the EU Council of Ministers approved a new version of the regulation on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and issued a press release. The new version replaces Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. The goal of the revision is stricter control of brominated flame retardants like decaBDE, which is frequently used in plastic electronics and auto parts. The POP Regulation is binding on…
The Taiwanese Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (only in Chinese) has entered three persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the Stockholm Convention to its own list of toxic chemicals. The chemicals involved include the group of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE), and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD). SCCPs function as flame retardants,…
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to fast-track a risk evaluation for five PBT substances. The substances include decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), both of which are considered Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and listed on the Stockholm Convention. The remaining substances are pentachlorothiophenol, tris(4-isopropylphenyl) phosphate, and…
Some 1,200 environmental experts from 171 countries met in Geneva in mid-May for the Seventh Conference of the Parties (COP 7) under the motto “From Science to Action: Working for a Safer Tomorrow” to discuss future handling of chemicals and waste. One important result is the listing of three substances…