FAQs
8. What are the POPs being controlled under the Stockholm Convention?
The Stockholm Convention initially targets 12 most toxic POPs identified by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), also known as the "Dirty Dozen". The 12 POPs include intentionally produced pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex and toxaphene) and industrial chemicals (HCB and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)), and unintentionally produced by-products of industrial and thermal processes, i.e. polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF)).
Annexes of the Stockholm Convention was amended biennially after 2009 to list new POPs. These POPs can be placed in three categories：
- Pesticides: α-hexachlorocyclohexane, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, chlordecone, dicofol, lindane, pentachlorobenzen, pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters, technical endosulfan and its related isomers
- Industrial chemicals: decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) present in commercial decarbromodiphenyl ether, hexabromobiphenyl, hexabromocyclododecane, hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, hexachlorobutadiene, pentachlorobenzene, perfluorooctanoic acid, its salts and PFOA-related compounds, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride, polychlorinated napthalenes, short-chained chlorinated paraffins, tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromophenyl ether; and
- Chemicals from Unintentional producrtion: hexachlorobutadiene, pentachlorobenzene and polychlorinated naphthalenes.
