UNITED NATIONS RC UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.13/INF/16 Distr.: General Rotterdam Convention on the Prior 4 July 2017 Informed Consent Procedure for English only Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade Chemical Review Committee Thirteenth meeting Rome, 23–27 October 2017 Item 5 (b) (vi) of the provisional agenda Technical work: review of notifications of final regulatory action: hexabromocyclododecane Hexabromocyclododecane: supporting documentation provided by China Note by the Secretariat As referred to in document UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.13/8, the annex to the present note sets out documentation provided by China to support its notification of final regulatory action for hexabromocyclododecane in the industrial category. The present note, including its annex, has not been formally edited. * UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.13/1. 250717 UNEP/FAO/RC/CRC.13/INF/16 Annex Hexabromocyclododecane: supporting documentation provided by China List of documents: 1. Focused summary of the notification of final regulatory action for hexabromocyclododecane – China. 2. Announcement on hexabromocyclododecane, No 84, 2016, in Chinese. 3. Risk profile on hexabromocyclododecane adopted by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee, 2010 (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.6/13/Add.2). 4. Guidechem Chemical Network, Chemical Manufacturers Dictionary http://www.guidechem.com/reference/dic-11487.html 2 Focused summary of the notification of final regulatory action for hexabromocyclododecane – China 1.Introduction (a) The event that led to the final regulatory action: Hexabromocyclododecane as a POPs has been listed in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). As a party of Stockholm Convention, China is obliged to eliminate Hexachlorobenzene as soon as possible. (b) Use: In China, hexabromocyclododecane was formerly used mainly as flame retardant. (c) An overview of the regulatory system of notifying country, if relevant: In China, the announcements of the regulatory action on certain chemicals are issued by Environmental Protection Ministry and other relevant ministries. (d) The scope of the regulatory action: a precise description of the chemical subjects to the regulatory action: Since December 26th, 2016, the production, circulation, use and import & export of hexabromocyclododecane have been banned in China except for the acceptable purpose or specific exemption: 1. the production, use, import and export of hexabromocyclododecane used for expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene in buildings （used mainly as flame retardant） will be allowed within the validity of specific exemption. The validity of the specific exemption will be terminated in 5 years after the amendment taking into effect in our country (on December 25, 2021). 2. the production, use, import and export of hexabromocyclododecane used for Laboratory scale research or as a reference standard will be allowed. 2.Risk evaluation Hexabromocyclododecane as a POPs has been listed in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The risk evaluation of hexabromocyclododecane by POPRC was adopted by China and used as a basis for decision making. 3.Human exposure assessment Hexabromocyclododecane as a POPs was listed in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The human exposure assessment of hexabromocyclododecane by POPRC was adopted by China and used as a basis for decision making. 4.Environmental exposure assessment Hexabromocyclododecane as a POPs was listed in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The environmental exposure assessment of hexabromocyclododecane by POPRC was adopted by China and used as a basis for decision making. 5.Risk reduction In China, there were no measures taken on the production, use and import & export of hexabromocyclododecane before 2016. As the listing of hexabromocyclododecane in POPs convention proceeded, more and more countries awared and received the environmental and health risks of hexabromocyclododecane and took control measures to limit its production and use step by step, and the production, use and export of hexabromocyclododecane gradually reduced accordingly. Since December 26th, 2016, the production, circulation, use and import & export of hexachlorobenzene have been banned in China except for the acceptable purpose or specific exemption. UNITED NATIONS SC UNEP/POPS/POPRC.6/13/Add.2 Distr.: General 3 December 2010 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Original: English Pollutants Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee Sixth meeting Geneva, 11–15 October 2010 Report of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee on the work of its sixth meeting Addendum Risk profile on hexabromocyclododecane At its sixth meeting, the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee adopted a risk profile on hexabromocyclododecane, on the basis of the draft risk profile contained in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.6/10. The text of the risk profile, as amended, is set out in the annex to the present addendum. It has not been formally edited. K1063066 160311 UNEP/POPS/POPRC.6/13/Add.2 Annex HEXABROMOCYCLODODECANE RISK PROFILE Draft prepared by the ad hoc working group on hexabromocyclododecane under the POPs Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention October 15, 2010 2 UNEP/POPS/POPRC.6/13/Add.2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................5 1.1 Chemical identity of the proposed substance ...............................................................................5 1.2 Conclusion of the Review Committee regarding Annex D information.......................................7 1.3 Data sources .................................................................................................................................7 1.4 Status of the chemical under international conventions ...............................................................8 2 Summary information relevant to the risk profile..................................................................................8 2.1 Sources .........................................................................................................................................8 2.1.1 Production, trade, stockpiles....................................................................................................8 2.1.2 Uses .........................................................................................................................................8 2.1.3 Releases to the environment ....................................................................................................9 2.2 Environmental fate .....................................................................................................................11 2.2.1 Persistence .............................................................................................................................11 2.2.2 Bioaccumulation....................................................................................................................12 2.2.3 Potential for long-range environmental transport ..................................................................13 2.3 Exposure.....................................................................................................................................15 2.3.1 Environmental levels and trends............................................................................................15 2.3.2 Human exposure ....................................................................................................................18 2.4 Hazard assessment for endpoints of concern..............................................................................19 2.4.1 Ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms...........................................................................................20 2.4.2 Toxicity in soil organisms and plants ....................................................................................21 2.4.3 Toxicity in birds.....................................................................................................................21 2.4.4 Toxicity in terrestrial mammals.............................................................................................22 2.4.5 Human toxicity ......................................................................................................................23 2.4.6 Comparison of exposure levels and effect data .....................................................................24 3 Synthesis of information ......................................................................................................................25 4 Concluding statement...........................................................................................................................26 References .....................................................................................................................................................27 Literature not directly cited in the Risk Profile .............................................................................................38 3 UNEP/POPS/POPRC.6/13/Add.2 Executive summary 1. The commercially available brominated flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is lipophilic, has a high affinity to particulate matter and low water solubility. Depending on the manufacturer and the production method used, technical HBCD consists of 70-95% γ-HBCD and 3-30 % of α- and β-HBCD.