Call for information and follow-up to the seventeenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee

At its seventeenth meeting held from 24 to 28 January 2022 in Geneva, the POPs Review Committee adopted 10 decisions contained in annex I to the report of the meeting (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.17/13).

A letter dated 2 February 2022 inviting the submission of information as agreed by the POPs Review Committee at its seventeenth meeting was sent to Parties and observers.

 

Title	English
Items: 2
Invitation for information and comments following the decisions taken by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee at its seventeenth meeting (POPRC-17)
Invitation to review and submit comments on the draft risk management evaluations on Dechlorane Plus and UV-328; draft risk profiles for chlorpyrifos, chlorinated paraffins and LC-PFCAs, their salts and related compounds

All information and comments should be sent to the Secretariat by e-mail to: Ms. Kei Ohno Woodall (kei.ohno@un.org).

By decision POPRC-17/2, the Committee, having completed the risk profile for Dechlorane Plus in accordance with paragraph 6 of Article 8 of the Convention, adopted the risk profile (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.17/13/Add.2) and decided, in accordance with paragraph 7 (a) of Article 8 of the Convention, that Dechlorane Plus is likely, as a result of its long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects such that global action is warranted.

The Committee established an intersessional working group to prepare a risk management evaluation that includes an analysis of possible control measures for Dechlorane Plus in accordance with Annex F to the Convention. The Committee also invited the intersessional working group on Dechlorane Plus to explore any further information on adverse effects, and, if appropriate, to revise the risk profile for consideration by the Committee at its eighteenth meeting.

The Committee invited Parties and observers to submit to the Secretariat the information specified in Annex F on Dechlorane Plus and additional information relating to adverse effects of Dechlorane Plus before 14 March 2022.

 

Title	English
Items: 2
Form for submission of information on Annex E (for adverse effects)
Form for submission of Annex F information

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By decision POPRC-17/3, the Committee, having completed the risk profile for UV-328 in accordance with paragraph 6 of Article 8 of the Convention, adopted the risk profile (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.17/13/Add.3) and decided, in accordance with paragraph 7 (a) of Article 8 of the Convention, that UV-328 is likely, as a result of its long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects such that global action is warranted.

The Committee established an intersessional working group to prepare a risk management evaluation that includes an analysis of possible control measures for UV-328 in accordance with Annex F to the Convention.

The Committee invited Parties and observers to submit to the Secretariat the information specified in Annex F on UV-328 before 14 March 2022.

 

Title	English
Items: 1
Form for submission of Annex F information

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By decision POPRC-17/4, the Committee, having examined the proposal by the European Union to list chlorpyrifos in Annexes A, B and/or C to the Convention and having applied the screening criteria specified in Annex D to the Convention, decided, in accordance with paragraph 4 (a) of Article 8, that it is satisfied that the screening criteria for chlorpyrifos have been fulfilled, as set out in the evaluation contained in the annex to that decision.

The Committee established an intersessional working group to review the proposal further and to prepare a draft risk profile for chlorpyrifos in accordance with Annex E to the Convention.

The Committee invited Parties and observers to submit to the Secretariat the information specified in Annex E on chlorpyrifos before 14 March 2022.

 

Title	English
Items: 1
Form for submission of information on Annex E

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By decision POPRC-17/5, the Committee, having examined the proposal by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to list chlorinated paraffins with carbon chain lengths in the range C14–17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45 per cent chlorine by weight in Annexes A, B and/or C to the Convention and having applied the screening criteria specified in Annex D to the Convention, decided, in accordance with paragraph 4 (a) of Article 8, that it is satisfied that the screening criteria for chlorinated paraffins with carbon chain lengths of C14 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45 per cent chlorine by weight have been fulfilled, as set out in the evaluation contained in the annex to that decision.

The Committee noted that information relating to the screening criteria on bioaccumulation for chlorinated paraffins with carbon chain lengths in the range C15–17 was less certain, and that, however, the information relating to the remaining screening criteria specified in Annex D was conclusive, and decided that more detail on bioaccumulation data should be included in the draft risk profile.

The Committee established an intersessional working group to review the proposal further and to prepare a draft risk profile for chlorinated paraffins with carbon chain lengths in the range C14–17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45 per cent chlorine by weight in accordance with Annex E to the Convention.

The Committee invited Parties and observers to submit to the Secretariat the information specified in Annex E on those chemicals before 14 March 2022.

 

Title	English
Items: 1
Form for submission of information on Annex E

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By decision POPRC-17/6, the Committee, having examined the proposal by Canada to list long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts and related compounds in Annexes A, B and/or C to the Convention and having applied the screening criteria specified in Annex D to the Convention, decided, in accordance with paragraph 4 (a) of Article 8, that it is satisfied that the screening criteria for long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts and related compounds have been fulfilled, as set out in the evaluation contained in the annex to that decision.

The Committee established an intersessional working group to review the proposal further and to prepare a draft risk profile for long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts and related compounds in accordance with Annex E to the Convention.

The Committee invited Parties and observers to submit to the Secretariat the information specified in Annex E for the following substances before 14 March 2022:

(a) Perfluorocarboxylic acids that have the molecular formula CnF2n+1CO2H in which 8 ≤ n ≤ 20 and their salts – for example, perfluorononanoic acid (CAS No. 375-95-1), perfluorodecanoic acid (CAS No. 335-76-2), perfluoroundecanoic acid (CAS No. 2058-94-8), perfluorododecanoic acid (CAS No. 307-55-1), perfluorotridecanoic acid (CAS No. 72629-94-8), perfluorotetradecanoic acid (CAS No. 376-06-7), perfluoropentadecanoic acid (CAS No. 141074-63-7), perfluorohexadecanoic acid (CAS No. 67905-19-5), perfluoroheptadecanoic acid (CAS No. 57475-95-3), perfluorooctadecanoic acid (CAS No. 16517-11-6), perfluorononadecanoic acid (CAS No. 133921-38-7), perfluoroeicosanoic acid (CAS No. 68310-12-3) and perfluoroheneicosanoic acid and their salts;

(b) Any substance that consists of a perfluorinated alkyl group that has the molecular formula CnF2n+1 in which 8 ≤ n ≤ 20 and that is directly bonded to any chemical moiety other than a fluorine, chlorine or bromine atom.

 

Title	English
Items: 2
Non-exhaustive list of long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts and related compounds
Form for submission of information on Annex E

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By decision POPRC-17/7, the Committee, recalling decision POPRC-16/4, by which it decided to submit to the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention the reports on the review of information related to specific exemptions for decabromodiphenyl ether (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.16/INF/17) and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.16/INF/18) noting the need for the continuation of the intersessional work of the Committee conducted between its sixteenth and seventeenth meetings in order to provide up-to-date information to enable decision-making by the Conference of the Parties, the Committee invited Parties and observers to provide relevant information by 15 March 2022.

The Committee established intersessional working groups on decabromodiphenyl ether and on short-chain chlorinated paraffins to update the reports on the review of information related to specific exemptions for those chemicals, taking into account the information provided by Parties and observers, the outcomes of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and any relevant information that may subsequently be received in accordance with decisions adopted at that meeting, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting.

 

Title	English
Items: 2
Form for submission of information on decabromodiphenyl ether
Form for submission of information on short-chain chlorinated paraffins

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By decision POPRC-17/8, the Committee established an intersessional working group to undertake the activities specified in the process set out in the annex to decision SC-6/4 for the evaluation of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF) pursuant to paragraphs 5 and 6 of part III of Annex B to the Convention.

The Committee invited Parties and observers to provide to the Secretariat, by 15 March 2022, information on PFOS, its salts and PFOSF using the form set out in the terms of reference for the assessment of alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride.

 

Title	English
Items: 1
Form for submission of information on alternatives to PFOS, its salts, PFOSF and their related chemicals

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On the basis of Annex E and Annex F information submitted by Parties and observers, the intersessional working groups of the POPs Review Committee have prepared the draft risk management evaluations on Dechlorane Plus and UV-328; draft risk profiles for chlorpyrifos, chlorinated paraffins and LC-PFCAs, their salts and related compounds for comments by Parties and observers.

Parties and observers are invited to review the documents and submit comments to the Committee by e-mail to: kei.ohno@un.orgto, by 17 June 2022.

 

Title	English
Items: 14
Invitation to review and submit comments on the draft risk management evaluations on Dechlorane Plus and UV-328; draft risk profiles for chlorpyrifos, chlorinated paraffins and LC-PFCAs, their salts and related compounds
Draft risk management evaluation on Dechlorane Plus
Dechlorane Plus: Additional information
Dechlorane Plus: Adverse effects
Dechlorane Plus: Progress update of the extended fish test
Draft risk management evaluation on UV-328
Draft risk profile for chlorpyrifos
Chlorpyrifos: Additional information
Draft risk profile for chlorinated paraffins (CPs) with carbon chain lengths in the range C14–17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45 per cent chlorine by weight
CPs: appendix 6 to draft risk profile
Draft risk profile for long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs), their salts and related compounds
LC-PFCAs, their salts and related compounds: Additional information
LC-PFCAs, their salts and related compounds: Environmental Concentrations Database
Non-exhaustive list of LC-PFCAs, their salts and related compounds

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The intersessional working groups of the POPs Review Committee have prepared draft report on the review of information related to specific exemptions for decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) and for short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs); draft report on the assessment of alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF); draft document on long-range environmental transport.

Parties and observers are invited to review the drafts and submit comments to the Committee by e-mail to: kei.ohno@un.org, by 4 August 2022.

 

Title	English
Items: 5
Invitation to review and submit comments on the draft report on the review of information related to specific exemptions for decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) and for short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs); draft report on the assessment of alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF); draft document on long-range environmental transport (Letter dated 5 July 2022)
Draft report on the review of information related to specific exemptions for decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE)
Draft report on the review of information related to specific exemptions for short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs)
Draft report on the assessment of alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF)
Draft document on long-range environmental transport

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