International Conference Considers Chemicals Ban

Ministers and officials from 150 governments are meeting in Geneva this week to advance global efforts to rid the world of nine chemicals that are considered highly toxic but are still
widely used as pesticides, flame retardants and a number of other
commercial uses.

The conference is being hosted by  the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

The nine chemicals would be added to the list of 12 other chemicals covered by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Fubbed the "dirty dozen," these are linked with human health impacts ranging from damage to the nervous and immune
systems, cancer and reproductive disorders and the disruption of infant
and child development.

"The risks posed by such chemicals are profound and these toxic
substances leave chemical footprints around the globe. Farmers,
pregnant women, young people, the unborn and certain remote communities
such as those in the Arctic are particularly vulnerable," said UN
Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive, Achim Steiner.

"This week in Geneva governments can make an important contribution to
the poverty-related UN Millennium Development Goals as well as
catalyzing a transition to a healthier, more sustainable Green Economy.
I would urge them to take that opportunity and begin lifting another
health threat from literally millions of peoples’ lives," he added.

A key issue on the conference agenda will be an evaluation of
whether countries that use DDT to combat mosquitoes carrying the deadly
malaria parasite need to continue doing so.

While the Convention
targets DDT for elimination, it recognizes that some countries must
still use this pesticide to protect their citizens’ health.

Delegates
will consider the endorsement of a business plan to promote effective
alternatives to DDT. The meeting will also focus on expanding support
to developing countries to clean up POPs worldwide and safer
alternatives for human health and the environment.

Another issue
is how to meet the challenges of a POPs-free future to minimize human
suffering and the global cost of responding to the human health and
environmental problems caused by POPs. This is particularly important
to vulnerable populations which suffer the most exposure.

According to UNEP, there are four distinct challenges:

1. moving away from the production and use of POPs towards safer alternatives and to reach the goal of eliminating the release of unintentionally produced POPs
2. identifying new POPs that put human health and environment at risk
3. ensuring that technical and financial resources are made available for all countries to meet their obligations under the Convention
4. continuing to ensure the Convention meets its goal of protecting human health and the environment from POPs

Another issue is how to strengthen the efforts to phase out PCB use. A vital next step will be to consider the endorsement of a PCB elimination club to establish key data and to evaluate whether the use of PCBs is indeed declining.

The nine chemicals being considered by the conference are: Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane; Beta hexachlorocyclohexane;
Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether;
Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether; Chlordecone;
Hexabromobiphenyl; Lindane; Pentachlorobenzene; Perfluorooctane
sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride.