POPs chemicals - further information

If you cannot find what you are looking for, or if you would like to know more about a particular ban or restriction, please contact the Chemical Compliance Team:

• Chemical Compliance Team

Please note: The information on this page does not constitute legal advice. If you have involvement with any POP chemical then you should refer to the text of the regulations. You should also consider contacting your trade association or an environmental law advisor.

To view the full text of the EU POPs Regulation, follow the link and search for 'Persistent Organic Pollutants':

• The EUR-Lex Database

There have been a number of amendments to the EU POPs Regulation, so make sure you check the original text and all of its amendments.

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)

HCB is a banned substance. It is created unintentionally as a by-product of industrial processes. HCB has traditionally been used as a fungicide and also as a chlorine donator in fireworks. Find out more about HCB in fireworks in our guidance note:

• HCB in fireworks – guidance note (issued September 2010) (PDF, 58KB)

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS)

There are 165 known PFOS derivatives – chemicals that contain the PFOS chemical structure or can degrade to form it in the environment.

The production, supply and use of these substances are banned in Europe, although there are some specific exemptions:

• More information about PFOS