GovWire

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are poisonous chemical substances that break down slowly and get into food chains as a result.

In the past POPs were used in various products including pesticides and industrial chemicals, and released during chemical and agricultural processes.

The manufacture, sale and use of products containing POPs is now banned. You can only use material or products that contain POPs in the specific exceptions to the ban explained in this guide.

List of POPs

The following substances are classified as POPs.

Endosulfan

Chemical formula: not available

CAS numbers:

• 115-29-7
• 959-98-8
• 33213-65-9

EC number: 204-079-4

Tetrabromodiphenyl ether

Chemical formula: C₁₂H₆Br₄O

CAS number: 40088-47-9 and others

EC number: 254-787-2 and others

Pentabromodiphenyl ether

Chemical formula: C₁₂H₅Br₅O

CAS number: 32534-81-9 and others

EC number: 251-084-2 and others

Hexabromodiphenyl ether

Chemical formula: C₁₂H₄Br₆O

CAS number: 36483-60-0 and others

EC number: 253-058-6 and others

Heptabromodiphenyl ether

Chemical formula: C₁₂H₃Br₇O

CAS number: 68928-80-3 and others

EC number: 273-031-2 and others

Bis(pentabromophenyl) ether (decabromodiphenyl ether, decaBDE)

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 1163-19-5

EC number: 214-604-9

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and PFOS derivatives

Chemical formula: C₈F₁₇SO₂X, where X is OH, metal salt (O-M+), halide, amide, and other derivatives including polymers

CAS numbers:

• 1763-23-1
• 2795-39-3
• 29457-72-5
• 29081-56-9
• 70225-14-8
• 56773-42-3
• 251099-16-8
• 4151-50-2
• 31506-32-8
• 1691-99-2
• 24448-09-7
• 307-35-7 and others

EC numbers:

• 217-179-8
• 220-527-1
• 249-644-6
• 249-415-0
• 274-460-8
• 260-375-3
• 223-980-3
• 250-665-8
• 216-887-4
• 246-262-1
• 206-200-6 and others

DDT

Chemical formula: (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane)

CAS number: 50-29-3

EC number: 200-024-3

Chlordane

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 57-74-9

EC number: 200-349-0

Hexachlorocyclohexanes, including lindane

Chemical formula: not available

CAS numbers:

• 58-89-9
• 319-84-6
• 319-85-7
• 608-73-1

EC numbers:

• 200-401-2
• 206-270-8
• 206-271-3
• 210-168-9

Dieldrin

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 60-57-1

EC number: 200-484-5

Endrin

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 72-20-8

EC number: 200-775-7

Heptachlor

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 76-44-8

EC number: 200-962-3

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 118-74-1

EC number: 204-273-9

Chlordecone

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 143-50-0

EC number: 205-601-3

Aldrin

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 309-00-2

EC number: 206-215-8

Pentachlorobenzene

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 608-93-5

EC number: 210-172-0

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 1336-36-3 and others

EC number: 215-648-1 and others

Mirex

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 2385-85-5

EC number: 219-196-6

Toxaphene

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 8001-35-2

EC number: 232-283-3

Hexabromobiphenyl

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 36355-01-8

EC number: 252-994-2

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)

Hexabromocyclododecane means: hexabromocyclododecane, 1,2,5,6,9,10-hexabromocyclododecane and its main diastereoisomers:

• alpha- hexabromocyclododecane
• beta-hexabromocyclododecane
• gamma-hexabromocyclododecane

Chemical formula: not available

CAS numbers:

• 25637-99-4
• 3194-55-6
• 134237-50-6
• 134237-51-7
• 134237-52-8

EC numbers:

• 247-148-4
• 221-695-9

Hexachlorobutadiene

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 87-68-3

EC number: 201-765-5

Pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 87-86-5 and others

EC number: 201-778-6 and others

Polychlorinated naphthalenes

These are chemical compounds based on the naphthalene ring system, where one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by chlorine atoms.

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 70776-03-3 and others

EC number: 274-864-4 and others

Alkanes C10-C13, chloro (short-chain chlorinated paraffins) (SCCPs)

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 85535-84-8 and others

EC number: 287-476-5

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 335-67-1 and others

EC number: 206-397-9 and others

Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and PFHxS-related compounds

Chemical formula: not available

CAS number: 355-46-4 and others

EC number: 206-587-1 and others

General exceptions to the ban on POPs

You can use substances or materials containing POPs:

• for laboratory-scale research
• as a reference standard, to calibrate scientific or analytical equipment
• if the POP occurs as an unintentional trace contaminant in substances, preparations (mixtures or solutions containing 2 or more substances) or articles (such as manufactured products like textiles or computers)

When POPs are unintentional trace contaminants

These brominated diphenyl ethers are considered to be unintentional trace contaminants when theyre present in substances at concentrations of no more than 10mg per kg (0.001% of the overall weight):

• tetrabromodiphenyl ether
• pentabromodiphenyl ether
• hexabromodiphenyl ether
• heptabromodiphenyl ether
• decabromodiphenyl ether

They are also considered to be unintentional trace contaminants when theyre present in preparations and articles at concentrations up to 500mg per kg for the sum of the listed substances.

PFOS and PFOS derivatives are considered to be unintentional trace contaminants when theyre present in:

• substances or preparations at concentrations of no more than 10mg per kg (0.001% of the overall weight)
• textiles or other coated materials at a concentration below 1?g (0.000001 grams) per s
  

  View the original news story