Limiting Exposure to Toxic Chemicals

Abstract

AbstractEnvironmental health risks stem from the production and transportation of hazardous chemicals in addition to the toxic trade in hazardous waste. States created an international regulatory regime to control the movement of these chemicals by imposing prior informed consent before importing a hazardous chemical to another country by negotiating the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. States also created a third treaty to limit the production and use of pesticides with known human health and environmental risks through the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. While these treaties provide mandatory requirements on the movement of hazardous chemicals, they do not specify the behaviors of manufacturers in manufacturing and selling additional chemicals. Consequently, voluntary guidelines and codes of conduct also seek to limit manufacturers behaviors.KeywordsHazardous waste regimeRotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International TradeStockholm Convention on Persistent Organic PollutantsPersistent organic pollutantsToxic tradePrior informed consent