POPs Criteria:
The Common Characteristics of Persistant Organic Pollutants
To be assessed as a new POPs, there must be evidence that a chemical demonstrates the POPs characteristics of persistence in the environment, transboundary movement or the ability to travel long distances via air and water, toxicicity and bioaccumulation in living things.
These criteria are measured in a number of ways. Importantly, when nominating a chemical not all of the criteria subsections must be fulfilled. For example;
- Persistence can be demonstrated either in the evidence of a half-life in water greater than two months,
or half-life in soil or sediment greater than six months, or other evidence that demonstrates
persistence;
- Bio-accumulation can be demonstrated by evidence that the bio-concentration factor or bio-accumulation
factor in aquatic species is greater than 5,000 or that the log Kow is greater than 5, or by other evidence
of high bio-accumulation in species, or high toxicity or ecotoxicity, or monitoring data indicating
bio-accumulation potential;
- The potential for long-range environmental transport can be demonstrated by measured levels of concern
in locations distant from the source, or monitoring data showing long-range environmental transport, or
environmental fate properties and/or model results that demonstrate the potential for long-range
environmental transport through air (with a half-life in air should be greater than two days), water or
migratory species; and
- Toxicity can be demonstrated through evidence of adverse effects to human health or the environment; or toxicity or ecotoxicity data indicating potential to damage human health or the environment.
Annex D
INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS AND SCREENING CRITERIA
1. A Party submitting a proposal to list a chemical in Annexes A, B and/or C shall identify the chemical in the manner described in subparagraph (a) and provide the information on the chemical, and its transformation products where relevant, relating to the screening criteria set out in subparagraphs (b) to (e):
(a) Chemical identity:
(i) Names, including trade name or names, commercial name or names and synonyms, Chemical Abstracts
Service (CAS) Registry number, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name; and
(ii) Structure, including specification of isomers, where applicable, and the structure of the chemical class;
(ii) Structure, including specification of isomers, where applicable, and the structure of the chemical class;
(b) Persistence:
(i) Evidence that the half-life of the chemical in water is greater than two months, or that its
half-life in soil is greater than six months, or that its half-life in sediment is greater than six
months; or
(ii) Evidence that the chemical is otherwise sufficiently persistent to justify its consideration within the scope of this Convention;
(ii) Evidence that the chemical is otherwise sufficiently persistent to justify its consideration within the scope of this Convention;
(c) Bio-accumulation:
(i) Evidence that the bio-concentration factor or bio-accumulation factor in aquatic species for the
chemical is greater than 5,000 or, in the absence of such data, that the log Kow is greater than 5;
(ii) Evidence that a chemical presents other reasons for concern, such as high bio-accumulation in other species, high toxicity or ecotoxicity; or
(iii) Monitoring data in biota indicating that the bio-accumulation potential of the chemical is sufficient to justify its consideration within the scope of this Convention;
(ii) Evidence that a chemical presents other reasons for concern, such as high bio-accumulation in other species, high toxicity or ecotoxicity; or
(iii) Monitoring data in biota indicating that the bio-accumulation potential of the chemical is sufficient to justify its consideration within the scope of this Convention;
(d) Potential for long-range environmental transport:
(i) Measured levels of the chemical in locations distant from the sources of its release that are of
potential concern;
(ii) Monitoring data showing that long-range environmental transport of the chemical, with the potential for transfer to a receiving environment, may have occurred via air, water or migratory species; or
(iii) Environmental fate properties and/or model results that demonstrate that the chemical has a potential for long-range environmental transport through air, water or migratory species, with the potential for transfer to a receiving environment in locations distant from the sources of its release. For a chemical that migrates significantly through the air, its half-life in air should be greater than two days; and
(ii) Monitoring data showing that long-range environmental transport of the chemical, with the potential for transfer to a receiving environment, may have occurred via air, water or migratory species; or
(iii) Environmental fate properties and/or model results that demonstrate that the chemical has a potential for long-range environmental transport through air, water or migratory species, with the potential for transfer to a receiving environment in locations distant from the sources of its release. For a chemical that migrates significantly through the air, its half-life in air should be greater than two days; and
(e) Adverse effects:
(i) Evidence of adverse effects to human health or to the environment that justifies consideration of the
chemical within the scope of this Convention; or
(ii) Toxicity or ecotoxicity data that indicate the potential for damage to human health or to the environment.
(ii) Toxicity or ecotoxicity data that indicate the potential for damage to human health or to the environment.
2. The proposing Party shall provide a statement of the reasons for concern including, where possible, a comparison of toxicity or ecotoxicity data with detected or predicted levels of a chemical resulting or anticipated from its long-range environmental transport, and a short statement indicating the need for global control.
3. The proposing Party shall, to the extent possible and taking into account its capabilities, provide additional information to support the review of the proposal referred to in paragraph 6 of Article 8. In developing such a proposal, a Party may draw on technical expertise from any source.
Version: September
2009
New POPS