1. Alaska Community Action on Toxics
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): New POPs and Report on POPRC-6 Collaborative on Health and the Environment, CHE-Alaska October 27, 2010
Pamela Miller,
Executive Director
Alaska Community Action on Toxics 1

2. The Language of the Stockholm Convention
“Acknowledging that the Arctic ecosystems and Indigenous communities are particularly at risk...”
“Conscious of the need for global action…”
“Acknowledging that precaution underlies the concerns…”
“Determined to protect human health and the environment…”

3. Vulnerability of Arctic Peoples
“How could the Arctic, seemingly untouched by contemporary ills, so innocent, so primitive, so natural, be home to the most contaminated people on the planet? I had stumbled on what is perhaps the greatest environmental injustice on Earth.”
Marla Cone, Silent Snow 3

4. Stockholm Convention—Initial Chemicals The “Dirty Dozen”
ANNEX A—Elimination
Aldrin—insecticide
Endrin—insecticide
Dieldrin—insecticide
Chlordane—insecticide (particularly termites)
Heptachlor—insecticide
HCB—solvent used in pesticides
Mirex—insecticide
Toxaphene—insecticide
PCBs—industrial chemical used in electrical applications

5. Stockholm Convention—Initial Chemicals The “Dirty Dozen”
ANNEX B—Restriction
DDT—Production and use for “acceptable purpose” as disease vector control (malaria) and specific exemption as intermediate in dicofol production
“with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating the use of DDT…”

6. Stockholm Convention—Initial Chemicals The “Dirty Dozen”
Annex C—Unintentional Production
“Parties must take measures to reduce the unintentional releases with the goal of continuing minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination.”
Dioxins
Furans
HCB
PCBs

7. Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC)
Subsidiary body of the Stockholm Convention that is mandated to assess any proposal by a Party for a chemical to be listed as a POP in Annex A, B, and/or C of the Convention.

8. POPs Review Committee

9. Membership of the POPRC
Region
2008 – 2012
2010 – 2014
Africa-8
(4) Chad, Ghana, Mauritius, Togo
(4) Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia
Asia/Pacific-8
(4) Cambodia, India, Republic of Korea, Syria
(4) China, Japan, Jordan, Thailand
Central and Eastern Europe-3
(1) Bulgaria
(2) Czech Republic, Ukraine
Latin America and Caribbean-5
(2) Chile, Honduras
(3) Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica
W Europe and other states-7
(3) France, Portugal, Switzerland
(4) Canada, Finland, Germany, New Zealand

10. The Process for Listing a POP
The POPRC reviews proposals submitted by Parties in accordance with Article 8 in three stages
1) Annex D -- Screening
Persistence, Bioaccumulation, Long-range transport, Adverse Effects
2) Annex E—Risk Profile—Assessment of Properties
”lack of full scientific certainty shall not prevent the proposal from proceeding…”
3) Annex F--Prepare Risk Management Evaluation
Socio-economic considerations and Alternatives
Recommend to COP to consider listing
COP makes a decision

11. Stockholm Convention Milestones
February 1997—UN Environment Program establishes intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC)
May 2001—92 countries and EC sign the global legally-binding treaty
May 2004—the Convention enters into force
More than 160 countries and the EU are Parties
May 2009—Fourth Conference of the Parties (COP4)—nine new chemicals added
October 2010—POPs Review Committee met in Geneva—considered endosulfan, HBCD, SCCPs

12. Indigenous Delegation to the Stockholm Convention Conference of Parties—Geneva, May 2009

13. “New” POPs Chemicals Added in May 2009
Eight substances listed in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention:
Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (Alpha-HCH)—no exemption
Beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (Beta-HCH)—no exemption
Chlordecone—no exemption
Hexabromobiphenyl (HBB)—no exemption
Lindane (Gamma-HCH)—five-year exemption for treatment of head ice and scabies
Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB)—no exemption; also listed in Annex C
C-Octabromodiphenyl ether (OctaBDE)—specific components of the commercial mixture were listed, including hexabromodiphenyl ether (HexaBDE) and heptabromodiphenyl ether (HeptaBDE). This listing includes an exemption allowing for recycling of products containing these substances.
C-Pentabromodiphenyl ether (PentaBDE)—specific components of the commercial mixture were listed, including tetrabromodiphenyl ether (TetraBDE) and pentabromodiphenyl ether (PentaBDE). This listing includes an exemption allowing for recycling of products containing these substances.

14. Lindane (Gamma-HCH)—Annex A with exemption for pharmaceutical uses
Broad spectrum insecticide
Used in “treatment” for lice and scabies
Effects: Neurotoxicant—associated with seizures and memory impairment
Hepatotoxic, immunotoxic, reproductive and developmental effects in animals

15. Lindane Production Generates Highly Persistent Alpha- and Beta-HCH Isomers

16. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson Warnings in 1962
“Lindane is stored in significant amounts in the brain and functioning liver tissue and may induce ‘profound and long-lasting effects on the central nervous system.’”

17. Pentabromodiphenyl ether (PentaBDE)—Annex A with exemption to allow recycling in products until 2030
Uses: PentaBDE been used almost exclusively in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane (PUR) foam for furniture and upholstery
Effects: Toxicological studies have demonstrated reproductive toxicity, neurodevelopmental toxicity and effects on thyroid hormones in aquatic organisms and in mammals.

18. Octabromodiphenyl ether (OctaBDE)—Annex A with exemption to allow recycling in products until 2030
Uses: Flame retardant primarily for ABS plastics used in office equipment and business machines.
Effects: There is increasing evidence suggesting similar toxicological profiles and therefore, equivalent hazards and concerns, between PBDEs and PCBs. Components of the octaBDE mixture may be released to the environment by debromination of commercial decaBDE.

19. Recycling Exemption PBDE
….if recycling may lead to further release of POPs is the exemption consistent with the principal objective of the Stockholm Convention:
“to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants”.
If the only relevant mass flow is excempted
The implications of allowing POPs PBDEs to be possibly released in an uncontrolled fashion also raises questions about whether the exemptions is in accordance with the objectives of the Convention.
PBDE

20. Assessment of Possible Health and Environmental
Impacts of Recycling Articles containing PBDEs.
Recycling of PBDE-containing polyurethane foam in the US:
Look at the video at: 20

21. BDE in Recycled Products
What is the flow of PBDE/BFR in recycled materials?
What articles are contaminated? What are risks to human and the environment?
Where are the BFR
Bantelman did not find too much OBDE in articles;
PBDE Honey BFR in marmelade.
There seems a downcycling – to other articles which normally do not contain and do not need BFRs
There are some studies on PBDE/BFR mix in new electronic goods – Ms Bantelmann, Schlummer, Chen
But only a few which analysed non flame retarded plastic for flame retardants and found them in sub % range
The allowance of PBDE products for recycling lead to exposure in the recycling stage, from the recycled product and in future recycling cycles.
PBDE/BFRs in video tapes (5/5)
(Hirai et al, BFR 2007.)
PBDE in children toys South China
(Chen et al, ES&T 43, 4200, 2009)
 Recycling of articles contaminated by PBDEs increases the possibilities of generating new environmental and health risks….

22. PentaBDE Flows
This report has been prepared as a consequence of the decision of the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting to list in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention certain congeners contained in commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether and octabromodiphenyl ethers. For the purposes of this report the PBDE which are listed in Annex A have been labelled ‘POP-BDE’. Article 6 of the Convention requires that wastes containing POPs be managed in a manner protective of human health and the environment. The decisions to list these POP-BDE include specific exemptions allowing for recycling and the subsequent use in articles of recycled materials containing these substances Decisions SC-4/14 on the listing of hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether and SC-4/18 on the listing of tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether.
The listing includes tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether, meaning 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47, CAS No: ) and 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99, CAS No: ) and other tetrabromodiphenyl and pentabromodiphenyl ethers present in commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether.
The listing includes hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, meaning 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153, CAS No: ), 2,2',4,4',5,6'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-154, CAS No: ), 2,2',3,3',4,5',6 heptabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-175, CAS No: ), 2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-183, CAS No: ) and other hexabromodiphenyl and heptabromodiphenyl ethers present in commercial octabromodiphenyl ether. .
At BFR 2010 Prof. Richard Hull highlighted that he was wondering why there are not more contributions in this conference on BFRs in the material flow because this is currently the largest reservoir of BFRs (including PBDE). 22

23. OctaBDE Flows
This report has been prepared as a consequence of the decision of the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting to list in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention certain congeners contained in commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether and octabromodiphenyl ethers. For the purposes of this report the PBDE which are listed in Annex A have been labelled ‘POP-BDE’. Article 6 of the Convention requires that wastes containing POPs be managed in a manner protective of human health and the environment. The decisions to list these POP-BDE include specific exemptions allowing for recycling and the subsequent use in articles of recycled materials containing these substances Decisions SC-4/14 on the listing of hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether and SC-4/18 on the listing of tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether.
The listing includes tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether, meaning 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47, CAS No: ) and 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99, CAS No: ) and other tetrabromodiphenyl and pentabromodiphenyl ethers present in commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether.
The listing includes hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, meaning 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153, CAS No: ), 2,2',4,4',5,6'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-154, CAS No: ), 2,2',3,3',4,5',6 heptabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-175, CAS No: ), 2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-183, CAS No: ) and other hexabromodiphenyl and heptabromodiphenyl ethers present in commercial octabromodiphenyl ether. .
At BFR 2010 Prof. Richard Hull highlighted that he was wondering why there are not more contributions in this conference on BFRs in the material flow because this is currently the largest reservoir of BFRs (including PBDE). 23

24. The “special” case of PFOs
Listed in Annex B of the Stockholm Convention:
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) including its salts and Perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF)—allows for on-going production and uses defined as specific exemptions (with five-year time limit, although these exemptions may be renewed) and acceptable purposes (no time limit established for phase-out).
PFOS uses include closed system and dispersive uses: fire fighting foams, carpets, apparel, textiles/upholstery, paper and packaging, coatings, industrial and household cleaning products, pesticides and other insecticides, photographic industry, and semiconductor manufacturing, hydraulic fluids, and metal plating.
Effects: PFOS has demonstrated toxicity towards mammals in sub-chronic repeated dose studies at low concentrations, as well as rat reproductive toxicity with mortality of pups occurring shortly after birth. Environmental toxicity data for PFOS is predominantly found for aquatic organisms such as fish, invertebrates and algae, and for birds.

25. New POPs Under Consideration
Short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)—nominated by EU in 2006, met Annex D criteria and currently stuck in Annex E Phase
Endosulfan—nominated by the EU in 2007, met Annex D criteria, completed Annex E and F, now recommended for consideration by COP
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)—nominated by Norway in 2008, met Annex D criteria, completed Annex E and will now move to Annex F stage

26. NEXT STEPS On to the Conference of Parties (COP5) In April 2011!
Achieve Global Ban on Endosulfan!! THANK YOU!!!