Developing countries; Emerging or newly listed POPs; PFAS analysis; Products and articles; Stockholm Convention; Ecuador; International regulations; Perfluorinated alkyl substances; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Product and article; Stockholm convention; Trace analysis
Abstract :
[en] The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a legally binding instrument for 186 Parties (status: April 2023). Accordingly, among other responsibilities, countries are obliged to report the production, import, or export of the POPs listed in Annexes A, B, or C; provide information to registers; maintain inventories; and monitor the presence of POPs in the environment. In the broader context of international chemicals and waste management, producer responsibilities, harmonized reporting, and compliance with national and international regulations, Ecuador has addressed the newly listed group of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in its national implementation plan and sent selected products from its national market for PFAS analysis. The products analyzed came from the initially listed fields of specific exemptions and acceptable purposes, including: fire-fighting foams; photographic aids; greasers/degreasers; various kinds of paper/packaging; textiles; and leather, coatings, cleaners, metal plating, and pesticides. Our results showed that the three PFAS presently listed in the Stockholm Convention could be quantified in only a few samples; additional PFAS, not yet listed in the Convention also had low detection frequencies. Although the number of samples was limited, the samples covered a large spectrum of sample matrices, making it possible to conclude that—once these products become waste and are regulated under the Basel Convention—they would not constitute a disposal problem. Nevertheless, verification of the presence of PFAS in products on the market is expected to pose an analytical challenge for both, developed and developing countries.
Disciplines :
Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Fiedler, Heidelore ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie analytique, organique et biologique ; MTM Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
Vega-Bustillos, Luis; Undersecretariat of Environmental Quality, Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador, Ecuador
Arias-Pastrano, Jenny; Undersecretariat of Environmental Quality, Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador, Ecuador
Pérez-Aldás, Lander Vinicio; Department of Environmental Chemistry, The Technical University of Ambato, Huachi Campus, Ambato, Ecuador
This work was supported by the Government of Ecuador through the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE) within the National Program for the Environmental Sound Management and Life Cycle Management of Chemical Substances (PNGQ) with contract of Alternativa Visionambiental Cia. Ltda. Quito, to \u00D6rebro University and prepared within the Project \u201CDiagn\u00F3stico sobre el uso, presencia en productos, posible sustituci\u00F3n de COP industriales y elaboraci\u00F3n del inventario y plan de acci\u00F3n de nuevas sustancias COP, con \u00E9nfasis en el sector industrial ecuatoriano\u201D funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funds from the Global Environment Facility (PNUD-ECU-SdP-ADQ-20-103165). Special thanks to Ana Tello at MAATE and Angela Quishpe at PNGQ for their enthusiastic support to this project. Heidelore Fiedler, Luis Vega-Bustillos, Jenny Arias-Pastrano, Lander Vinicio P\u00E9rez-Ald\u00E1s, and Jose Castro-D\u00EDaz declare that they have no conflict of interest or financial conflicts to disclose.This work was supported by the Government of Ecuador through the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE) within the National Program for the Environmental Sound Management and Life Cycle Management of Chemical Substances (PNGQ) with contract of Alternativa Visionambiental Cia. Ltda., Quito, to \u00D6rebro University and prepared within the Project \u201CDiagn\u00F3stico sobre el uso, presencia en productos, posible sustituci\u00F3n de COP industriales y elaboraci\u00F3n del inventario y plan de acci\u00F3n de nuevas sustancias COP, con \u00E9nfasis en el sector industrial ecuatoriano\u201D funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funds from the Global Environment Facility (PNUD-ECU-SdP-ADQ-20-103165. Special thanks to Ana Tello at MAATE and Angela Quishpe at PNGQ for their enthusiastic support to this project.
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