UN contaminant expert committee assesses “Forever Chemicals” and other toxic substances that are found in the Arctic for global regulation
February 2, 2022 – Ottawa, Canada – After a week of lengthy negotiations, the review committee, known as POPRC, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) made consensus decisions on six toxic chemicals on Friday January 28, 2022. The meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland, and online.
“ICC Canada is happy with the successful outcome of this meeting, and that precautionary principles prevailed in the decisions, since the health of the Arctic ecosystem and that of Inuit is highly impacted by these chemicals,” said ICC Canada President Monica Ell-Kanayuk.
For the first time, Canada has nominated a substance – a group of fluorinated chemicals (long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, PFCAs) – for addition. PFCAs belong to a complex group of substances which have been called “forever chemicals”, due to their extremely persistent nature. The Canadian nomination was urged and highly supported by the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), since elevated levels of these chemicals are found in some Inuit populations, in particular in Nunavik.
The committee decided to move PFCAs further in the review process, and to provide an in-depth document with information on the chemicals’ toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and long-range environmental transport, including its occurrence in the Arctic.
To provide scientific information and inform the international experts about how Inuit are affected, ICC organized a side event during the POPRC meeting, with presentations from Lucy Grey, speaking on behalf of the Tuniit Community Organization in Nunavik, and two scientists from Laval University – Melanie Lemire and Amira Aker.
During the event, the scientists reported PFCA concentrations 4-7 times higher in Nunavik Inuit compared to the general Canadian population. “We need to take urgent global action on these chemicals” Ms. Grey said. “These contaminants are coming from the south into the Arctic, and are accumulating in our traditional foods, which is so healthy and crucial for us. It is unacceptable if this is affecting us, including our pregnant women and babies.”.
All of these chemicals are currently in various stages of the multi-year review process, which leads to recommendations for global action by the Stockholm Convention. Currently, 30 chemicals are listed in the annexes of the Convention, which entered into force in 2004 with prescribed global action on 12 chemicals.
The committee also decided to move a toxic additive in plastics (UV-328), a group of industrial chemicals (medium-chained chlorinated paraffins), a flame retardant (Dechlorane Plus), and a pesticide (chlorpyrifos) further in the review process and is recommending another pesticide (methoxychlor) for addition to the list of elimination of the Stockholm Convention. All of these chemicals have been found in the Arctic.
Although some of the decisions by the members of the committee were intensely debated, in the end the committee decided in all cases by consensus and kept the precautionary principle in mind, as mandated through the Stockholm Convention.
The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) is an Indigenous Peoples’ Organization (IPO), founded in 1977 to promote and celebrate the unity of 180,000 Inuit from Alaska (USA), Canada, Greenland, and Chukotka (Russia). ICC works to promote Inuit rights, safeguard the Arctic environment, and protect and promote the Inuit way of life. In regard to climate change, we believe that it is crucial for world leaders and governments to recognize, respect and fully implement the human rights of Inuit and all other Indigenous peoples across the globe.
This article was originally published on the ICC website.
