Factsheet-New Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

The Government of India ratified seven new POPs on 7 October 2020, and paved way for elimination of these chemicals. The national implementation process is ongoing. The regulation prohibited the manufacture, trade, use, import and export seven chemicals and chemical groups of Chlordecone, Hexabromobiphenyl, Hexabromodiphenyl ether and Heptabromodiphenylether (Commercial octa-BDE), Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and Pentabromodiphenyl ether (Commercial penta-BDE), Pentachlorobenzene, Hexabromocyclododecane, and Hexachlorobutadiene. The factsheet developed under Project INOPOL provided a snapshot of these seven new POPs regarding their characteristics, uses, exposure routes, health impacts, regulations (national/international status) as well as alternatives. POPs are chemical substances that are known to resist natural breakdown processes, bioaccumulate in fatty tissues at different levels of the food chain, are semi-volatile enabling them to move long distances in the atmosphere and have detrimental long-term impacts on human health and environment. Knowledge and scientific understanding on the sources, fate and transfer of POPs is very important to manage them better and prevent dire consequences. This Factsheet on the seven new POPs being regulated in India is a proper scientific knowledge document with accurate and research-driven facts, data, etc. that will be useful for different stakeholder groups for informed decision making and improved management of these specific chemicals.