NIP Update

Dear colleagues!

As most of the project countries completed their inception meetings, and are preparing for inventory exercise, we are happy to share the Guidance on Information Collection for Industrial Persistent Organic Pollutants!

Dear colleagues!

We are happy to share with you the links to the Integrated Electronic Toolkit for submission of National Implementation Plans developed by UNEP upon specific requests outlined in key decisions (paragraph 8 (e) of SC-8/8 and paragraph 3 of SC-8/17, paragraph 7 (c) of SC-9/9, SC-9/16) of the Stockholm Convention.
Please feel free to explore the toolkit by following the link below!

Hello NIP colleagues!

Sharing another valuable piece of information on POPs developed by IPEN with you!

Waste incineration is often presented as a solution to waste management issues, offering an alternative to landfills. However, this process results in the generation of toxic ash and residues, constituting approximately 30% of the original waste volume. Unfortunately, these byproducts are often improperly disposed of, leading to environmental pollution and potential exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Municipal waste incineration not only destroys valuable resources but also transforms non-toxic materials into hazardous ash. The report highlights the inadequate regulation of waste incineration, emphasizing the need for globally adopted "Low POPs Content Levels" to treat and destroy POPs-contaminated residues. Key findings reveal a significant underestimation of dioxins in waste incineration fly ash, raising concerns about its widespread reuse, especially in agriculture, posing risks to food chains. The report advocates for a phased-out approach to waste incineration in favor of non-combustion waste treatment methods, addressing the global impact of toxic ash on the environment and human health.

Electronic waste (e-waste) poses a significant threat to Thailand's environment and human health, as highlighted by IPEN`s study focused on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) near e-waste processing facilities. The research, conducted in Chachoengsao province and Prachinburi province, targeted POPs used in electronic equipment and plastic, including brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs). The study revealed contamination with POPs in soils, sediments, dust, and free-range duck eggs, with the highest levels near the Supcharoen Recycle Co. Ltd. factory in Nong Khok. This contamination, linked to the dismantling and incineration of e-waste, particularly affected the food chain, evidenced by elevated POPs levels in duck eggs. Additionally, the dumping of industrial sludge contributed to serious contamination with SCCPs. The study emphasizes the urgency of addressing e-waste processing practices to mitigate environmental and health risks, urging a shift towards sustainable waste management and recycling practices.

With diverse perspectives shedding light on the global and local dimensions of e-waste, one might ponder: How can we collectively address these challenges and strive towards sustainable solutions for the electronic waste predicament?

Did you know that Copenhagen Airport Environment department is still working on cleaning up from AFFF pollution in other areas of the airport where AFFF foam has been used?

"Just to maintain the sewer system around the fire training ground, the airport spends more than 1.5 million EUR every year and expects to be doing this at least the next 80 years!" (Kim Olsen, Head of Copenhagen Airport Fire & Rescue Academy.).

Developed in the 1960s firefighting foams with PFAS have seen significant advancements in the last decades. Today, cutting-edge technologies allow environmentally safe alternatives. The IPEN report emphasizes that fluorine-free firefighting foams offer significant benefits over persistent fluorochemical-based foams. These advantages include financial, socio-economic, public health, and environmental aspects. Unlike highly persistent PFAS in AFFF, fluorine-free foams are non-persistent, and biodegradable, with short-term, localized, and self-remediating effects. This stands in contrast to the toxic and bio-accumulative nature of PFAS, causing environmental and human health concerns, including extreme long-range transport and global contamination.

What kind of fire fighting foams are commonly used in aviation in your country?

This study is shifting dominating narrative on plastic recycling.

The electrical and electronic engineering industry is a major consumer of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs), using them to reduce flammability in plastic components for electronics. Despite existing regulations, studies have detected BFRs like Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in various consumer products, including children's toys, kitchen utensils, and recycled plastic items. These BFRs found in new products are not deliberately added but come from recycled plastics used in their production.
The objective of this study was to investigate whether BFRs from e-waste end up in new consumer goods due to plastic recycling. This research focused on assessing the impact of unregulated e-waste plastic recycling in African and Arabic regions on products like children's toys, hair accessories, kitchen utensils, and office supplies. The study examined 434 samples of consumer products made from recycled black plastic in eleven countries, revealing a mix of various BFRs. This practice affects the market with potentially harmful consequences for human health.

What do you think about the measures to address this issue and control BFRs in products and waste?

Good day, NIP colleagues,

We are delighted to introduce our project team, diligently working on Components 1-4 across six regions worldwide. If you need to get in touch with the project implementation team members in your region, please find their contact details following the link below. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or require assistance!

Hope everyone is having a great and productive Monday!

This is to quickly share the updates on the Gender Guidance with you. Generic tools (Annex 1) and NIP-specific gender tools (Annexes 3-5) are now available on our initiative page.

For colleagues working on NAPs, please kindly refer to Annexes 2-4 on the same page.

Wish everyone a nice day!

Hello colleagues! Hope your Monday is off to a great start!

We trust you had time to explore Sectoral Guidance for Inventories of POPs and other Chemicals of Concern by Dr.Roland Weber available on the Global NIP Update Project Initiative page.

New industrial POPs are present in polymers and wood in buildings and construction, in plastics in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), vehicles, textiles, and a range of other consumer goods. These uses result in human exposure indoor, environmental releases and food chain contamination, and the generation of POP-contaminated waste and recycling cycles in particular for plastics.

This guidance steps away from the chemical-by-chemical approach and brings a more systematized sectoral overview of chemicals present in the construction, electronics, and transport sectors.

Hello Colleagues!

Sharing another piece of information on PFAS from the consumer's perspective.

While they are not commonly listed ingredients in cosmetics, PFAS compounds can sometimes be present in cosmetics as contaminants if they are used in manufacturing processes or sourced from contaminated raw materials.

Green Science Policy Institute`s research on PFAS concludes that some of its compounds in cosmetics may remain unlisted. The institute is also providing an extensive list of resources to identify PFAS in cosmetic products, such as Clearya.

Clearya is a free browser plug-in and mobile app that automatically analyzes cosmetics' ingredients while users shop online on platforms like Amazon and Sephora. It instantly notifies users of unsafe chemicals, including PFAS. Clearya's database revealed nearly 1,000 products from 120 brands containing at least one PFAS, with 34 different PFAS identified, and the most common being PTFE (Teflon). Some personal care products even contained multiple PFAS, such as a pore-cleaning foam with six different PFAS.

Being aware of the chemical compounds when shopping is an important step.