UN countries add 3 substances to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention
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UN countries add 3 substances to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention

At the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention on 5 May 2023, more than 120 countries agreed to add 2 plastic chemicals and one pesticide to the Conventions list of substances for global elimination (Annex A). The delegates to the COP found that the chemicals, the plastic additive UV-328, the flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (also often used in plastics), and the pesticide methoxychlor all meet the Convention criteria as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) required for a global ban.

The uses and hazards of the 3 substances are:

Substance

Use

Hazard

UV-328

  • Automotive paints, coatings, sealants, adhesives, plastics and rubbers to protect materials from UV light-induced degradation or color-change

  • Additives and printing inks in the plastics and rubbers for outdoor furniture, construction materials and food packaging (in non-
    food contact layer) and wood products

  • Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT)

  • Very Persistent and very Toxic (vPvT)

Dechlorane Plus

  • Flame retardant in adhesives, sealants and polymers

  • Used in cables, wires and in motor vehicles

  • Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT)

  • Subject to long-range transport

 

Methoxychlor

  • Pesticide used to protect crops, ornamentals, livestock, and pets against fleas, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and other insects.

  • Replacement for DDT

  • Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT)

  • Endocrine disruptor

However, time-limited exemptions were agreed on for the use of UV-328 and Dechlorane Plus. The expemtions are summarised in the tables below.

UV-328

For 5 years after the amendment takes effect

  • Motor vehicles

  • Mechanical separators in blood collection tubes

  • Industrial coating applications for automotive coating, engineering coating, rail transit coating, and heavy-duty coating for large steel structures

  • Tri-acetyl cellulose (TAC) film in polarizers and photographic paper

Replacement parts for these applications until the end of service life of the articles or 2044, whichever comes earlier

  • Motor vehicles

  • Stationary industrial machines for use in agriculture, forestry and construction

  • Liquid crystal displays in medical and in-vitro diagnostic devices

  • Liquid crystal displays in instruments for analysis, measurement, control, monitoring, testing, production and inspection

 

Dechlorane Plus

Specific exemptions for the production and/or use for 5 years after the amendment takes effect

  • Aereospace

  • Space and defence applications

  • Medical imaging and radiotherapy devices and installations

For replacement parts, and repair of, in these applications until the end of service life of the articles or 2044, whichever comes earlier

  • Aereospace

  • Space

  • Defence

  • Motor vehicles

  • Stationary industrial machisnes for use in agriculture, forestry and construction

  • Marine, garden, forestry and outdoor power equipment

  • Medical devices and in vitro diagnostic devices

  • Medical imaging and radiotherapy devices and installations

  • Instruments for analysis, measurements, control, monitoring,
    testing, production and inspection

Several countries called for labelling of products that contain the 2 plastic additives while others opposed. The Convention’s Scientific Review Committee plans to evaluate options for identifying POPs in products and waste.