Emerging Contaminants (Jan 2022)
European cooperation to tackle the legacies of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and lindane
Abstract
Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) waste isomers from lindane production are the largest single POPs legacy, with an estimated 4.8 to 7.4 million tonnes of disposed waste. The largest part of this waste – 1.8 to 3 million tonnes – was disposed in Europe, where most producers were located. This paper provides a short overview of projects supported by the European Union (EU) to address this waste legacy and to implement the Stockholm Convention for this group of POPs with associated protection of soil, ecosystems and human health. We report here particularly on the results of a project financed by the EU called the “HCH in EU project”, which aimed to develop a systematic inventory of sites where HCH was handled and potentially resulted in contamination. The compiled information provide guidance for competent authorities to further assess their national HCH inventory and to further develop a strategy to address this large POP legacy in future. The systematic inventory revealed that there were at least 299 sites where HCH was handled. These sites include 54 former production sites, 76 pesticide processing plants that used lindane, 59 uncontrolled HCH waste isomer deposits, 29 landfills with HCH waste, 34 former or current storage sites for stocks of obsolete pesticides including technical HCH or lindane, and 16 HCH treatment or disposal sites. Additionally, at 31 of the sites lindane/technical HCH was used in applications with significant risk of soil pollution, such as wood treatment. The number of sites in this latter category is likely higher and will need further assessment. In addition to this inventory, the “HCH in EU project” produced detailed country reports, a guidance document for how to find potentially HCH-impacted sites, and a strategy document for implementing the sustainable management of these sites EU-wide, with proposed actions at the EU, country, and site level. Furthermore, the project has facilitated information exchange and – together with other related EU projects – has led to sharing information and best practices among member states and to establishing a network of authorities and other stakeholders working on the lindane/HCH waste legacy. This collaboration will facilitate a more systematic and better coordinated process to further assess, secure, and remediate the large HCH waste legacy and reduce and control lindane/HCH releases in the EU and possibly beyond. Such a coordinated effort and exchange of information for inventorying and managing contaminated sites might also be useful for other POPs such as PFOS/PFOA or dioxins.
