POPs under the Stockholm Convention

POPs

CAS No.

Categories

Summary

Specific exemptions /
Acceptable purposes

Remarks

 Annex A (Elimination)

Parties must take measures to eliminate the production and use of the chemicals listed under Annex A. Specific exemptions for use or production are listed in the Annex and apply only to Parties that register for them.

Aldrin

309-00-2

Pesticide

A pesticide applied to soils to kill termites, grasshoppers, corn rootworm, and other insect pests, aldrin can also kill birds, fish, and humans. In one incident, aldrin-treated rice is believed to have killed hundreds of shorebirds, waterfowl, and passerines along the Texas Gulf Coast when these birds either ate animals that had eaten the rice or ate the rice themselves. In humans, the fatal dose for an adult male is estimated to be about five grams. Humans are mostly exposed to aldrin through dairy products and animal meats. Studies in India indicate that the average daily intake of aldrin and its byproduct dieldrin is about 19 micrograms per person.

Production: None

Use: Local ectoparasiticide Insecticide

Chlordane

57-74-9

Pesticide

Used extensively to control termites and as a broad-spectrum insecticide on a range of agricultural crops, chlordane remains in the soil for a long time and has a reported half-life of one year. The lethal effects of chlordane on fish and birds vary according to the species, but tests have shown that it can kill mallard ducks, bobwhite quail, and pink shrimp. Chlordane may affect the human immune system and is classified as a possible human carcinogen. It is believed that human exposure occurs mainly through the air, and chlordane has been detected in the indoor air of residences in the US and Japan.

Production: As allowed for the Parties listed in the
Register
Use: Local ectoparasiticide
Insecticide
Termiticide
Termiticide in buildings and dams
Termiticide in roads
Additive in plywood adhesives

Dieldrin

60-57-1

Pesticide

Used principally to control termites and textile pests, dieldrin has also been used to control insect-borne diseases and insects living in agricultural soils. Its half-life in soil is approximately five years. The pesticide aldrin rapidly converts to dieldrin, so concentrations of dieldrin in the environment are higher than dieldrin use alone would indicate. Dieldrin is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic animals, particularly frogs, whose embryos can develop spinal deformities after exposure to low levels. Dieldrin residues have been found in air, water, soil, fish, birds, and mammals, including humans. Food represents the primary source of exposure to the general population. For example, dieldrin was the second most common pesticide detected in a US survey of pasteurized milk.

Production: None
Use: In agricultural operations

Endrin

72-20-8

Pesticide

This insecticide is sprayed on the leaves of crops such as cotton and grains. It is also used to control rodents such as mice and voles. Animals can metabolize endrin, so it does not accumulate in their fatty tissue to the extent that structurally similar chemicals do. It has a long half-life, however, persisting in the soil for up to 12 years. In addition, endrin is highly toxic to fish. When exposed to high levels of endrin in the water, sheepshead minnows hatched early and died by the ninth day of their exposure. The primary route of exposure for the general human population is through food, although current dietary intake estimates are below the limits deemed safe by world health authorities.

Production: None
Use: None

Heptachlor

76-44-8

Pesticide

Primarily used to kill soil insects and termites, heptachlor has also been used more widely to kill cotton insects, grasshoppers, other crop pests, and malaria-carrying mosquitoes. It is believed to be responsible for the decline of several wild bird populations, including Canadian Geese and American Kestrels in the Columbia River basin in the US. The geese died after eating seeds treated with levels of heptachlor lower than the usage levels recommended by the manufacturer, indicating that even responsible use of heptachlor may kill wildlife. Laboratory tests have also shown high doses of heptachlor to be fatal to mink, rats, and rabbits, with lower doses causing adverse behavioral changes and reduced reproductive success.
Heptachlor is classified as a possible human carcinogen. Food is the major source of exposure for humans, and residues have been detected in the blood of cattle from the US and from Australia.

Production: None
Use: Termiticide
Termiticide in structures of houses
Termiticide (subterranean)
Wood treatment
In use in underground cable boxes

Mirex

2385-85-5

Pesticide

This insecticide is used mainly to combat fire ants, and it has been used against other types of ants and termites. It has also been used as a fire retardant in plastics, rubber, and electrical goods.
Direct exposure to mirex does not appear to cause injury to humans, but studies on laboratory animals have caused it to be classified as a possible human carcinogen. In studies mirex proved toxic to several plant species and to fish and crustaceans. It is considered to be one of the most stable and persistent pesticides, with a half life of up to 10 years. The main route of human exposure to mirex is through food, particularly meat, fish, and wild game.

Production: As allowed for the Parties listed in the Register
Use: Termiticide

Toxaphene

8001-35-2

Pesticide

This insecticide is used on cotton, cereal grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It has also been used to control ticks and mites in livestock. Toxaphene was the most widely used pesticide in the US in 1975. Up to 50% of a toxaphene release can persist in the soil for up to 12 years.
For humans, the most likely source of toxaphene exposure is food. While the toxicity to humans of direct exposure is not high, toxaphene has been listed as a possible human carcinogen due to its effects on laboratory animals. It is highly toxic to fish; brook trout exposed to toxaphene for 90 days experienced a 46% reduction in weight and reduced egg viability, and long-term exposure to levels of 0.5 micrograms per liter of water reduced egg viability to zero.

Production: None
Use: None

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)

118-74-1

Pesticide, Industrial chemical, By-product

First introduced in 1945 to treat seeds, HCB kills fungi that affect food crops. It was widely used to control wheat bunt. It is also a byproduct of the manufacture of certain industrial chemicals and exists as an impurity in several pesticide formulations.
When people in eastern Turkey ate HCB-treated seed grain between 1954 and 1959, they developed a variety of symptoms, including photosensitive skin lesions, colic, and debilitation; several thousand developed a metabolic disorder called porphyria turcica, and 14% died. Mothers also passed HCB to their infants through the placenta and through breast milk. In high doses, HCB is lethal to some animals and, at lower levels, adversely affects their reproductive success. HCB has been found in food of all types. A study of Spanish meat found HCB present in all samples. In India, the estimated average daily intake of HCB is 0.13 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.

Production: As allowed for the Parties listed in the Register
Use: Intermediate
Solvent in pesticide
Closed system site limited intermediate

Listed under Annex A and Annex C

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)

Industrial chemical, By-product

These compounds are used in industry as heat exchange fluids, in electric transformers and capacitors, and as additives in paint, carbonless copy paper, and plastics. Of the 209 different types of PCBs, 13 exhibit a dioxin-like toxicity. Their persistence in the environment corresponds to the degree of chlorination, and half-lives can vary from 10 days to one-and-a-half years.
PCBs are toxic to fish, killing them at higher doses and causing spawning failures at lower doses. Research also links PCBs to reproductive failure and suppression of the immune system in various wild animals, such as seals and mink.
Large numbers of people have been exposed to PCBs through food contamination. Consumption of PCB-contaminated rice oil in Japan in 1968 and in Taiwan in 1979 caused pigmentation of nails and mucous membranes and swelling of the eyelids, along with fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Due to the persistence of PCBs in their mothers' bodies, children born up to seven years after the Taiwan incident showed developmental delays and behavioral problems. Similarly, children of mothers who ate large amounts of contaminated fish from Lake Michigan showed poorer short-term memory function. PCBs also suppress the human immune system and are listed as probable human carcinogens.

Production: None
Use: Articles in use in accordance with the provisions of Part II of this Annex

Listed under Annex A with specific exemptions and under Annex C

Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane 

319-84-6

Pesticide,  By-product

Although the intentional use of alpha-HCH as an insecticide was phased out years ago, this chemical is still produced as unintentional by-product of lindane. For each ton of lindane produced, around 6-10 tons of the other isomers including alpha- and beta-HCH are created. Large stockpiles of alpha- and beta-HCH are therefore present in the environment.
Alpha-HCH is highly persistent in water in colder regions and may bioaccumulate and biomagnify in biota and arctic food webs. This chemical is subject to long-range transport, is classified as potentially carcinogenic to humans and adversely affects wildlife and human health in contaminated regions.
Today, alpha-HCH is only produced unintentionally during the production of lindane. Releases also occur from stockpiles and contaminated sites.

Production: None
Use: None

Beta hexachlorocyclohexane

319-85-7

Pesticide,  By-product

Although the intentional use of beta-HCH as an insecticide was phased out years ago, this chemical is still produced as unintentional by-product of lindane. For each ton of lindane produced, around 6-10 tons of the other isomers including alpha- and beta-HCH are created. Large stockpiles of alpha- and beta-HCH are therefore present in the environment.
Beta-HCH is highly persistent in water in colder regions and may bioaccumulate and biomagnify in biota and arctic food webs. This chemical is subject to long-range transport, is classified as potentially carcinogenic to humans and adversely affects wildlife and human health in contaminated regions.
Today, beta-HCH is only produced unintentionally during the production of lindane. Releases also occur from stockpiles and contaminated sites.

Production: None
Use: None

Chlordecone 

143-50-0

Pesticide

Chlordecone is a synthetic chlorinated organic compound, which was mainly used as an agricultural pesticide. It was first produced in 1951 and introduced commercially in 1958. Currently, no use or production of the chemical is reported.
Chlordecone is highly persistent in the environment, has a high potential for bioaccumulation and biomagnification and based on physico-chemical properties and modelling data, chlordecone can be transported for long distances. It is classified as a possible human carcinogen and is very toxic to aquatic organisms.
Alternatives to chlordecone exist and can be implemented inexpensively. Many countries have already banned its sale and use. The main objective to phase out chlordecone would be to identify and manage obsolete stockpiles and wastes.

Production: None
Use: None

Hexabromobiphenyl 

36355-01-8

Industrial chemical

Hexabromobiphenyl is an industrial chemical that has been used as a flame retardant, mainly in the 1970s. According to available information, hexabromobiphenyl is no longer produced or used in most countries.
The chemical is highly persistent in the environment, highly bioaccumulative and has a strong possibility for long-range environmental transport. As hexabromobiphenyl is classified as a possible human carcinogen and has other chronic toxic effects, the Committee recommended its listing as a POP.
Alternatives are available for all uses of hexabromobiphenyl, so prohibiting its use and production is feasible and inexpensive. This chemical is already subject to several national and international regulations, restricting its use and production.

Production: None
Use: None

Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether (commercial octabromodiphenyl ether)

68631-49-2
 207122-15-4
446255-22-7
207122-16-5

Industrial chemical

Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether are the main components of commercial octabromodiphenyl ether.
Commercial mixture of octaBDE is highly persistent, has a high potential for bioaccumulation and food-web biomagnification, as well as for long-range transport. The only degradation pathway is through debromination and producing other bromodiphenyl ethers.
Alternatives generally exist and there is no information about any current production. However, it is reported that many articles in use still contain these chemicals.

Debromination and precursors
Polybromodiphenyl ethers can be subject to debromination, i.e. the replacement of bromine on the aromatic ring with hydrogen.
Higher bromodiphenyl ether congeners may be converted to lower, and possibly more toxic, congeners. The higher congeners might therefore be precursors to the tetraBDE, pentaBDE, hexaBDE, or heptaBDE.

Production: None
Use: Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A

Lindane

58-89-9

Pesticide

Lindane is the common name for the gamma isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). Technical HCH is an isomeric mixture that contains mainly five forms, namely alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta- and epsilon-HCH.
Lindane has been used as a broad-spectrum insecticide for seed and soil treatment, foliar applications, tree and wood treatment and against ectoparasites in both veterinary and human applications. The production of lindane has decreased rapidly in the last few years and only few countries are still known to produce lindane.
Lindane is persistent, bioaccumulates easily in the food chain and bioconcentrates rapidly. There is evidence for long-range transport and toxic effects (immunotoxic, reproductive and developmental effects) in laboratory animals and aquatic organisms.
Alternatives for lindane are generally available, except for use as a human health pharmaceutical to control head lice and scabies. Regulations on the production, use and monitoring of lindane already exist in several countries.

Production: None
Use: Human health pharmaceutical for control of head lice and scabies as second line treatment

Pentachlorobenzene 

608-93-5

Pesticide, Industrial chemical, By-product

PeCB belongs to a group of chlorobenzenes that are characterized by a benzene ring in which the hydrogen atoms are substituted by one or more chlorines.
PeCB was used in PCB products, in dyestuff carriers, as a fungicide, a flame retardant and as a chemical intermediate e.g. previously for the production of quintozene. PeCB might still be used as an intermediate. PeCB is also produced unintentionally during combustion, thermal and industrial processes. It also present as impurities in products such as solvents or pesticides.
PeCB is persistent in the environment, highly bioaccumulative and has a potential for long-range environmental transport. It is moderately toxic to humans and very toxic to aquatic organisms.
The production of PeCB ceased some decades ago in the main producer countries as efficient and cost-effective alternatives are available. Applying Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices would significantly reduce the unintentional production of PeCB.

Production: None
Use: None

Listed under Annex A and Annex C

Technical endosulfan and its related isomers 

alpha-endosulfan
CAS No: 959-98-8

beta-endosulfan
CAS No: 33213-65-9

Pesticide

Endosulfan occurs as two isomers: alpha- and beta-endosulfan. They are both biologically active. Technical endosulfan (CAS No: 115-29-7) is a mixture of the two isomers along with small amounts of impurities.
According to the risk profile on endosulfan, adopted by the POPRC, endosulfan is persistent in the atmosphere, sediments and water. Endosulfan bioaccumulates and has the potential for long-range transport. It has been detected in air, sediments, water and in living organisms in remote areas, such as the Arctic, that are distant from areas of intensive use.
Endosulfan is toxic to humans and has been shown to have adverse effects on a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Exposure to endosulfan has been linked to congenital physical disorders, mental retardations and deaths in farm workers and villagers in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Endosulfan sulfate shows toxicity similar to that of endosulfan.
Chemical and non-chemical alternatives to endosulfan are available in many geographical situations both in developed and developing countries. Some of these alternatives are being applied in countries where endosulfan has been banned or is being phased-out. However, in some countries, it may be difficult and/or costly to replace endosulfan for specific crop-pest complexes. Some countries also prefer to use endosulfan in pollinator management, insecticide resistance management, integrated pest management systems and because it is effective against a broad range of pests. Some countries want to continue to use endosulfan to allow time for the phase-in of alternatives.

Production: As allowed for the parties listed in the Register of specific exemptions
Use: Crop-pest complexes as listed in accordance with the provisions of part VI of  Annex A

Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether (commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether)

CAS No: 5436-43-1
CAS No: 60348-60-9

Industrial chemical

Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether are the main components of commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether.
Commercial mixture of pentaBDE is highly persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative and has a high potential for long-range environmental transport. These chemicals have been detected in humans in all regions. There is evidence of its potential for toxic effects in wildlife, including mammals.
Alternatives are available and used to replace these substances in many countries, although they might also have adverse effects on human health and the environment. Alternatives might not be available for use in military airplanes. The identification and also handling of equipment and wastes containing brominated diphenyl ethers is considered a challenge.
Polybromodiphenyl ether congeners including tetraBDE, pentaBDE, hexaBDE, and heptaBDE inhibit or suppress combustion in organic materials and therefore are used as additive flame retardants.

Production: None
Use: Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A

Annex B (Restriction)

Parties must take measures to restrict the production and use of the chemicals listed under Annex B in light of any applicable acceptable purposes and/or specific exemptions listed in the Annex.

DDT

50-29-3

Pesticide

DDT was widely used during World War II to protect soldiers and civilians from malaria, typhus, and other diseases spread by insects. After the war, DDT continued to be used to control disease, and it was sprayed on a variety of agricultural crops, especially cotton. DDT continues to be applied against mosquitoes in several countries to control malaria. Its stability, its persistence (as much as 50% can remain in the soil 10-15 years after application), and its widespread use have meant that DDT residues can be found everywhere; residual DDT has even been detected in the Arctic.
Perhaps the best known toxic effect of DDT is egg-shell thinning among birds, especially birds of prey. Its impact on bird populations led to bans in many countries during the 1970s. Although its use had been banned in many countries, it has been detected in food from all over the world. Although residues in domestic animals have declined steadily over the last two decades, food-borne DDT remains the greatest source of exposure for the general population. The short-term acute effects of DDT on humans are limited, but long-term exposures have been associated with chronic health effects. DDT has been detected in breast milk, raising serious concerns about infant health.

Production
Acceptable purpose:
Disease vector control use in accordance with Part II of this Annex
Specific exemption:
Intermediate in production of dicofol Intermediate
Use
Acceptable purpose:
Disease vector control in accordance with Part II of this Annex
Specific exemption:
Production of dicofol Intermediate

Listed under Annex B with acceptable purpose for disease vector control

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride

perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (CAS No: 1763-23-1) and its salts
perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (CAS No: 307-35-7)

Industrial chemical

PFOS is both intentionally produced and an unintended degradation product of related anthropogenic chemicals. The current intentional use of PFOS is widespread and includes: electric and electronic parts, fire fighting foam, photo imaging, hydraulic fluids and textiles. PFOS is still produced in several countries.
PFOS is extremely persistent and has substantial bioaccumulating and biomagnifying properties, although it does not follow the classic pattern of other POPs by partitioning into fatty tissues but instead binds to proteins in the blood and the liver. It has a capacity to undergo long-range transport and also fulfills the toxicity criteria of the Stockholm Convention.
While alternatives to PFOS are available for some applications, this is not always the case in developing countries where existing alternatives may need to be phased in. For some applications like photo imaging, semi-conductor or aviation hydraulic fluids, technically feasible alternatives to PFOS are not available to date.

Production: For the use below
Use: Acceptable purposes and specific exemptions in accordance with Part III of Annex B

Annex C (Unintentional production)

Parties must take measures to reduce the unintentional releases of chemicals listed under Annex C with the goal of continuing minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination.

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)

118-74-1

By-product

First introduced in 1945 to treat seeds, HCB kills fungi that affect food crops. It was widely used to control wheat bunt. It is also a byproduct of the manufacture of certain industrial chemicals and exists as an impurity in several pesticide formulations.
When people in eastern Turkey ate HCB-treated seed grain between 1954 and 1959, they developed a variety of symptoms, including photosensitive skin lesions, colic, and debilitation; several thousand developed a metabolic disorder called porphyria turcica, and 14% died. Mothers also passed HCB to their infants through the placenta and through breast milk. In high doses, HCB is lethal to some animals and, at lower levels, adversely affects their reproductive success. HCB has been found in food of all types. A study of Spanish meat found HCB present in all samples. In India, the estimated average daily intake of HCB is 0.13 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.

Production: None
Use: None

Listed under Annex A and Annex C

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)

By-product

These compounds are used in industry as heat exchange fluids, in electric transformers and capacitors, and as additives in paint, carbonless copy paper, and plastics. Of the 209 different types of PCBs, 13 exhibit a dioxin-like toxicity. Their persistence in the environment corresponds to the degree of chlorination, and half-lives can vary from 10 days to one-and-a-half years.
PCBs are toxic to fish, killing them at higher doses and causing spawning failures at lower doses. Research also links PCBs to reproductive failure and suppression of the immune system in various wild animals, such as seals and mink.
Large numbers of people have been exposed to PCBs through food contamination. Consumption of PCB-contaminated rice oil in Japan in 1968 and in Taiwan in 1979 caused pigmentation of nails and mucous membranes and swelling of the eyelids, along with fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Due to the persistence of PCBs in their mothers' bodies, children born up to seven years after the Taiwan incident showed developmental delays and behavioral problems. Similarly, children of mothers who ate large amounts of contaminated fish from Lake Michigan showed poorer short-term memory function. PCBs also suppress the human immune system and are listed as probable human carcinogens.

Production: None
Use: None

Listed under Annex A with specific exemptions and under Annex C

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD)

By-product

These chemicals are produced unintentionally due to incomplete combustion, as well during the manufacture of pesticides and other chlorinated substances. They are emitted mostly from the burning of hospital waste, municipal waste, and hazardous waste, and also from automobile emissions, peat, coal, and wood.  There are 75 different dioxins, of which seven are considered to be of concern. One type of dioxin was found to be present in the soil 10 - 12 years after the first exposure.
Dioxins have been associated with a number of adverse effects in humans, including immune and enzyme disorders and chloracne, and they are classified as possible human carcinogens. Laboratory animals given dioxins suffered a variety of effects, including an increase in birth defects and stillbirths. Fish exposed to these substances died shortly after the exposure ended. Food (particularly from animals) is the major source of exposure for humans.

Production: None
Use: None

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF)

By-product

These compounds are produced unintentionally from many of the same processes that produce dioxins, and also during the production of PCBs. They have been detected in emissions from waste incinerators and automobiles. Furans are structurally similar to dioxins and share many of their toxic effects. There are 135 different types, and their toxicity varies. Furans persist in the environment for long periods, and are classified as possible human carcinogens. Food, particularly animal products, is the major source of exposure for humans. Furans have also been detected in breast-fed infants.

Pentachlorobenzene 

608-93-5

Pesticide, Industrial chemical, By-product

PeCB belongs to a group of chlorobenzenes that are characterized by a benzene ring in which the hydrogen atoms are substituted by one or more chlorines.
PeCB was used in PCB products, in dyestuff carriers, as a fungicide, a flame retardant and as a chemical intermediate e.g. previously for the production of quintozene. PeCB might still be used as an intermediate. PeCB is also produced unintentionally during combustion, thermal and industrial processes. It also present as impurities in products such as solvents or pesticides.
PeCB is persistent in the environment, highly bioaccumulative and has a potential for long-range environmental transport. It is moderately toxic to humans and very toxic to aquatic organisms.
The production of PeCB ceased some decades ago in the main producer countries as efficient and cost-effective alternatives are available. Applying Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices would significantly reduce the unintentional production of PeCB.

Production: None
Use: None

Listed under Annex A and Annex C