1998 Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

The Executive Body adopted the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Aarhus, Denmark, on 24 June 1998. This Protocol targets 16 substances identified based on agreed risk criteria, including 11 pesticides, two industrial chemicals, and three by-products or contaminants. Its ultimate goal is to eliminate all discharges, emissions, and losses of POPs.

The Protocol bans the production and use of certain substances outright, including aldrin, chlordane, chlordecone, dieldrin, endrin, hexabromobiphenyl, mirex, and toxaphene. Others, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), heptachlor, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and hexachlorobenzene, are scheduled for phased elimination. Provisions are included for managing the waste of banned substances.

Parties are also required to reduce emissions of dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to levels below those of 1990 (or an alternative base year between 1985 and 1995). Specific limit values are established for the incineration of municipal, hazardous, and medical waste.

In 2001, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants was adopted under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), building on the Aarhus Protocol and elevating the issue of POPs to a global scale.