Daily News Analysis » 18th Meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee

18th Meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee

Why in the News?

The 18th meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) Review Committee (POPRC-18) at the Stockholm Convention has included five more chemicals in its agenda.

Key Highlights of the POPRC-18

  • The agenda included five more chemicals for listing them under the Stockholm convention.
  • Chlorpyrifos
  • Chlorinated paraffin (beyond prescribed)
  • Long-chain perfluoro carboxylic acids 
  • Dechlorane plus
  • UV-328
  • India’s Stand:
      • India had opposed the decision to list flame retardant dechlorane plus and Chlorpyrifos
  • Rationale:
      • Chlorpyrifos is not a carcinogen and its concentrations are low.
      • Before listing dechlorane plus on Stockholm Convention, seek more socio-economic implications of global action on it.

What is Stockholm Convention?

    • The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
      • Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife.
  • Aim:
    • Eliminate dangerous POPs, starting with the 12 worst
    • Support the transition to safer alternatives
    • Target additional POPs for action
    • Cleanup old stockpiles and equipment containing POPs
    • Work together for a POPs-free future
  • The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is the designated interim financial mechanism for the Stockholm Convention.

About Chlorpyrifos:

  • Chlorpyrifos was approved for agricultural use in 2021, which includes its use as a pesticide against pests affecting Bengal gram, rice and cotton.
  • It is one of the ten pesticides banned by the Punjab and Haryana governments in 2022.
  • Chlorpyrifos is approved for 18 crops in India.
  • China and India are among the largest producers of chlorpyrifos. 

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

  • These are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife.
  • Lifespan: They hang around the environment for several years at a time.
  • Distribution: It is dispersed throughout the environment through natural carriers like soil, water, and air.
  • Food Chain – They accumulate in the fatty tissue of living things, including people, and eventually become a component of the food chain.
  • Bioaccumulation: POPs build up in fatty tissues, where their concentration rises. Greater POP concentrations are absorbed and transported by species found at the top of the food chain.
  • Effect – Exposure to POPs can cause
    • Cancer
    • Allergies
    • Hypersensitivity
    • Damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems
    • Reproductive disorders, and
    • Disruption of the immune system
    • Endocrine disruptors