The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions has selected the Stockholm and Basel regional center in China to implement a project examining how emerging economies can identify brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in products and articles, substitute safer alternatives, and prevent and minimize hazardous waste generation involving these POPs.
8 January 2013: The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions has selected the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific/Stockholm Convention Regional Centre in China as the implementation agency for a project on the phaseout and replacement of brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in products and articles.
The “Sound Management of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in articles and phasing out opportunities in emerging countries” project will run from January to October 2013. The objective of the project is to reduce exposure to and risks resulting from BDEs, PFOS, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF), through the identification and phasing-out of these substances in products and articles produced in developing countries or countries with economies in transition with high industrial activity, with a particular focus on applications in China. It will identify opportunities to substitute BDEs and PFOS with safe alternatives in China’s industries.
The study will also look at the prevention and minimization of hazardous wastes generation involving these POPs. The project is funded by the Government of Germany, with technical assistance from the German development agency GIZ. [Stockholm Convention Secretariat Press Release]