UNEP(DEPI)/MED WG.352/Inf.5 24 January 2011 ENGLISH MEDITERRANEAN ACTION PLAN Meeting of MED POL Focal Points and Government-designated Experts to review Regional Plans as part of the implementation of Art. 15 of the LBS Protocol Larnaca (Cyprus), 24-25 February 2011 DIAGNOSIS OF THE NEW POPS LISTED IN THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES FINAL REPORT UNEP/MAP Athens, 2011 2 D Diagnosis of the New POPs in the Mediterranean countries Index 0. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................7 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................17 2. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE..................................................................................18 2.1 OBJECTIVES .....................................................................................................18 2.2 SCOPE .............................................................................................................18 3. INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................19 3.1 THE MAP, THE BARCELONA CONVENTION AND THE MED POL ..........................19 3.2 THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION.........................................................................20 3.3 OTHER INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS IN CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT...................22 3.3.1 Rotterdam Convention ................................................................................22 3.3.2 Basel Convention........................................................................................22 3.3.3 Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) ......23 3.3.4 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution ............................24 3.3.5 OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Northeast Atlantic...................................................................................................24 3.4 SYNERGIES AMONG CONVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES ........................................25 4. AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND PREVIOUS STUDIES ON THE NEW POPS 25 4.1 ALPHA- AND BETA-HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANE ................................................26 4.1.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................26 4.1.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................27 4.1.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................28 4.1.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................28 4.2 CHLORDECONE ................................................................................................29 4.2.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................29 iii Diagnosis of the New POPs in the Mediterranean countries 4.2.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................30 4.2.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................30 4.2.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................30 4.3 HEXABROMOBIPHENYL......................................................................................31 4.3.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................31 4.3.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................32 4.3.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................32 4.3.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................33 4.4 HEXABROMODIPHENYL ETHER AND HEPTABROMODIPHENYL ETHER ....................33 4.4.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................34 4.4.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................35 4.4.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................35 4.4.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................36 4.5 LINDANE...........................................................................................................37 4.5.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................37 4.5.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................38 4.5.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................38 4.5.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................39 4.6 PENTACHLOROBENZENE ...................................................................................40 4.6.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................40 4.6.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................41 4.6.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................41 4.6.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................42 4.7 PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONIC ACID, ITS SALTS AND PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONYL FLUORIDE ...................................................................................................42 4.7.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................42 4.7.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................44 iv D Diagnosis of the New POPs in the Mediterranean countries 4.7.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................45 4.7.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................46 4.8 TETRABROMODIPHENYL ETHER AND PENTABROMODIPHENYL ETHER...................47 4.8.1 Chemical and toxicological properties.........................................................47 4.8.2 Production and uses ...................................................................................48 4.8.3 Releases to the environment ......................................................................49 4.8.4 International framework and regulations.....................................................49 5. ALTERNATIVE CHEMICALS ...............................................................................51 5.1 ALPHA- AND BETA-HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANE .................................................53 5.2 CHLORDECONE ................................................................................................54 5.3 HEXABROMOBIPHENYL......................................................................................55 5.3.1 Alternative substances................................................................................55 5.3.2 Alternative technologies..............................................................................57 5.4 HEXA AND HEPTABDE ......................................................................................58 5.5 LINDANE...........................................................................................................60 5.6 PENTACHLOROBENZENE ...................................................................................63 5.7 TETRABROMODIPHENYL ETHER AND PENTABROMODIPHENYL ETHER...................63 5.8 PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONIC ACID, ITS SALTS AND PERFLUOROCTANE SULFONYL FLUORIDE....................................................................................................................67 5.8.1 Uses without a feasible alternative..............................................................68 5.8.2 Uses for which alternatives are available....................................................69 6. WASTE MANAGEMENT.......................................................................................73 6.1 GENERAL INFORMATION ON POPS WASTE MANAGEMENT ...................................73 6.2 HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANE (ALPHA, BETA AND GAMMA ISOMERS).....................74 6.3 CHLORDECONE ................................................................................................75 6.4 HEXABROMOBIPHENYL......................................................................................76 6.5 POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS (PBDES)................................................76 v Diagnosis of the New POPs in the Mediterranean countries 6.6 PENTACHLOROBENZENE ...................................................................................78 6.7 PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONIC ACID, ITS SALTS AND PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONYL FLUORIDE ...................................................................................................78 7. THE NEW POPS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION.......................................80 7.1 LEGAL AND MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK.............................................................81 7.2 PRODUCTION, USES, IMPORT, EXPORT AND TRADE.............................................82 7.3 MAIN EMISSIONS SOURCES AND EXPOSURE ROUTES ..........................................85 7.4 STOCKPILES.....................................................................................................86 7.5 VIABILITY OF SUBSTITUTION ..............................................................................86 7.6 INFORMATION, AWARENESS