Achieving target of Stockholm Convention on PCBs elimination: Asia-Pacific case

Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are required to be controlled by the Stockholm Convention due to their significant potential impacts to the environment and human health. Parties to the Stockholm Convention are obliged to prohibit the production of PCBs totally, eliminate equipment and oils containing PCBs from use by 2025 and bring these under environmentally sound waste management by 2028. Pollution to the environment and harm to the human health from PCBs in developing countries is serious in Asia-Pacific Region. This paper first summarizes the information of basic national status of PCBs in countries through analysis of submitted National Implementation Plans (NIPs), including production, import, inventory, disposal of PCBs. Then investigate and assesses the progress of PCBs management and elimination in Asia-Pacific countries on the base of PCBs projects developed by Asia-Pacific countries. Based on the obstacles and challenges analysis, the paper finally makes some suggestions on PCBs management and elimination at the regional level, including cooperation among regional countries, information exchange and experiences share, and.