Twenty years of achievements in China’s implementation of the Stockholm Convention

doi:10.1007/s11783-022-1587-7

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

2022, Vol. 16

Issue (12) : 152 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-022-1587-7

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Twenty years of achievements in China’s implementation of the Stockholm Convention

Yang Zhang¹, Zheng Peng¹, Zhaomin Dong², Mujie Wang¹, Chen Jiang¹(

)

¹. Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing 100035, China
². School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China

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Abstract

● China’s implementation of the SC was systematically studied.

● Implementation process of the SC can be roughly divided into three stages.

● DDT and HCH concentrations in the air have been steadily decreasing.

● China has safely disposed of 6352.1 tons of pesticide POPs.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are extremely harmful to the environment and human health; the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants was therefore adopted by the international community in 2001 to eliminate or reduce the production, use, and emissions of POPs. China is the largest developing country that has signed the Stockholm Convention, and thus plays an important role in its implementation. This paper systematically studies the practice and achievements of China since it signed the Stockholm Convention 20 years ago. China has established an implementation guarantee system including institutions, implementation mechanisms, policies, law enforcement, and scientific and technological support. During the 20 years since the implementation of the Stockholm Convention, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) concentrations in the air have been steadily decreasing, and Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid/Perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOS/PFOSF) concentrations in water bodies have decreased. In the past 20 years, China has safely disposed of 6352.1 tons of pesticide persistent organic pollutants and 36998 sets of electrical equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), with a disposal rate of 100%. In the future, China will further strengthen the construction of persistent organic pollutant monitoring networks, scientific research, publicity, education, and international cooperation to improve environmental quality, providing a reference for other countries to implement the Stockholm Convention.

Keywords Stockholm Convention Persistent organic pollutants Compliance Effectiveness

Corresponding Author(s): Chen Jiang

Issue Date: 09 June 2022

Cite this article:

Yang Zhang,Zheng Peng,Zhaomin Dong, et al. Twenty years of achievements in China’s implementation of the Stockholm Convention[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2022, 16(12): 152.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-022-1587-7
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2022/V16/I12/152

Fig.1 The process of China’s implementation of the Stockholm Convention.

Fig.2 National implementation guarantee framework.

Fig.3 Composition of the national coordination group for the implementation (MEE: Ministry of Ecology and Environment; MFA: Ministry of Foreign Affairs; NDRC: National Development and Reform Commission; MOST: Ministry of Science and Technology; MIIT: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; MOF: Ministry of Finance; MOHURD: Ministry of Housing and Urban– Rural Development; MARA: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; MOFCOM: Ministry of Commerce; NHC: National Health Commission; GAC: General Administration of Customs; SAMR: State Administration for Market Regulation; MEM: Ministry of Emergency Management; NEA: National Energy Administration).

Release date	Files	Jointly released Sector	Controlled substances	Effective date
Apr. 16, 2009	Announcement on Prohibition of Production, Distribution, Use and Import and Export of DDT, Chlordane, Mirex and HCB	MEP, NDRC MIIT, MOHURD, MOA, MOFCOM, MOH, GAC, GAQSIQ, and GASS	DDT, Chlordane, Mirex and HCB	May 17, 2009
Mar. 25, 2014	Announcement on the Entry into Force of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the Amendments to Annex A, Annex B and Annex C on the newly added list of POPs, and the Amendments to Annex A concerning the newly added endosulfan	MEP, MFA, NDRC, MOST, MIIT, MOHURD, MOA, MOFCOM, HFPC, GAC, GAQSIQ, GASS	α-HCH, β-HCH, Chlordecone, Pentachlorobenzene, Hexabromobiphenyl, Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether, Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, Lindane, PFOS and its salts and PFOSF, Endosulfan (except for specific exemptions and acceptable uses)	March 26, 2014
Dec. 26, 2016	Announcement on the entry into force of the Amendment about the Newly Added HBCD to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants	MEP, MFA, NDRC, MOST, MIIT, MOF, MOHURD, MOFCOM, GAC, GAQSIQ, and GASS	HBCD (except for specific exempt purposes)	December 26, 2016
Mar. 4, 2019	Announcement on Prohibiting the Production, Circulation, Use and Import and Export of Lindane and Other Persistent Organic Pollutants	MEE, MFA, NDRC, MOST, MIIT, MARA, MOFCOM, NHC, MEM, GAC, SAMR	Lindane, Endosulfan, PFOS and its salts and PFOSF (except for acceptable uses)	March 26, 2019
Dec. 30, 2019	List of Strictly Restricted Toxic Chemicals in China (2020)	MEE, MOFCOM, GAC	HBCD, PFOS and its salts and PFOSF	January 1, 2020
Dec. 30, 2020	Catalogue of Goods Prohibited from Import (Seventh Batch) Catalogue of Goods Prohibited from Export (Sixth Batch)	MOFCOM, GAC, MEE	Chlordane, Mirex, DDT, Pentachlorobenzene, HCB, Hexabromobiphenyl, Chlordecone, α-HCH, β-HCH, Lindane, Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether, Hexabromodiphenyl phenyl ether, Heptabromodiphenyl ether, Endosulfan, Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin , Heptachlor, Toxaphene, Polychlorinated biphenyls	January 1, 2021

Tab.1 Announcements on POPs that have entered into force for China in the Stockholm Convention

Tab.2 POPs controlled in China’s water environment standards

Tab.3 Dioxin emission limits for different industries in China

Tab.4 Contents of POPs in the National Ecological Environmental Protection Plan

Tab.5 Standards for dioxin analysis in China

Fig.4 Trend of DDT concentration in air over the past 20 years: (a) total DDTs, (b) DDT, (c) o,p'-DDT, (d) p,p'-DDT, (e) o,p'-DDD, (f) p,p'-DDD, (g) o,p'-DDE, and (h) p,p'-DDE.

Fig.5 Trend of HCH concentration in air over the past 20 years: (a) total HCHs, (b) α-HCH, (c) β-HCH, (d) γ-HCH, and (e) HCH.

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