UN insists on chemical bans

Toronto News.Net
Sunday 10th May, 2009

The UN has decreed that under the Stockholm Convention, nine chemicals should be banned.

The poisonous substances listed include the headlice treatment lindane.

More than 160 signatory states of the convention have decided the chemicals are hazardous to human health.

The chemicals listed are:
Lindane -- used in treatment of headlice and scabies, and in insecticides

Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane -- a by-product of lindane

Beta hexachlorocyclohexane -- a by-product of lindane

Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether -- used in flame retardants

Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether -- used in flame retardants

Chlordecone -- used in agricultural pesticides

Hexabromobiphenyl -- used in flame retardants

Pentachlorobenzene -- used in fungicides, flame retardants

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride -- used in electric and electronic parts, photo imaging, textiles

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