Highlights for Wednesday, 21 November 2007

The third meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-3) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) convened for its third day on Wednesday 21 November in Geneva, Switzerland.

In the morning, POPRC-3 heard reports on the contact groups and the drafting groups preparing the risk management evaluations before the Committee and the risk profile on commercial octabromodiphenyl ether (c-octaBDE). The Committee also discussed the draft risk profiles for pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), and alpha hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH) and beta hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH).

In the afternoon, participants discussed Spain’s request to defer until POPRC-4 the discussion of the EU’s nomination to list endosulfan under Annex A, B, or C. The Committee then discussed the revised risk management evaluation and draft decision for pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE). Two options for recommendation to the conference of the parties remain: listing BDE-47 and BDE-99, or listing BDEs with four bromines and BDEs with five bromines. POPRC-3 then discussed operational and other matters, including possible synergies among the chemical-related conventions and the roster of experts.

On Wednesday evening, contact groups met to discuss perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and PeCB. Drafting groups met to discuss bioaccumuation and alpha- and beta-HCH. A contact group on SCCPs is scheduled to meet on Thursday morning.