Identifying the research needs in the global assessment of toxic compounds 10 years after the signature of the Stockholm Convention

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are targeted by the Stockholm Convention for reduction and eventual elimination from production, trade and release. All POPs share properties that make them long lived (persistent), get enriched along the food chains (bioaccumulative), present at elevated concentrations in remote locations (prone to long-range transport) and elicit adverse effects (toxic). Since its adoption on 22 May 2001, the convention has identified just over 20 chemicals and groups of compounds as POPs. These include the original ‘dirty dozen’ compounds as the coming into force of the convention (aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, toxaphene, DDT, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls), followed by another nine compounds in 2009 (chlordecone; hexabromobiphenyl; tetra-, penta-, hexaand hepta bromodiphenylether; α-hexachlorocyclohexane; β-HCH; γ-HCH (lindane); pentachlorobenzene; perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride). In 2011, endosulfan was added to the list. Ten years later, after the adoption of the convention, an expert meeting was organized by the Regional Centre of the Stockholm Convention for capacity building and transfer of technology in Central and Eastern Europe, the Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment of Masaryk University, and held in Brno, Czech Republic, on May 22–24, 2011, with the support of the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention (SSC), the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic, the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences—Division of Chemistry and the Environment and the American Chemical Society. The topics addressed were on aims and instruments of the convention and cooperation with related conventions (Rotterdam, Basel) and protocols, national policies and stakeholders, in particular science. The workshop participants assessed progress with the Stockholm Convention and identified major knowledge gaps, challenges and research needs associated with the global assessment of hazardous chemicals. The expertise of 40 invited scientists from 16 countries of three UN regions was sought and supplemented by experience of the representatives of the SSC, UNEP, and government. Their expertise encompasses the fields of environmental chemistry and exposure modelling; monitoring of air, water and biota including human exposure, effects and risks; and data interpretation and management. The participants identified 10 major priority areas for future work (Klanova et al. 2011): Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues