Collection

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Information relating to persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Environment Agency
Published
7 August 2024
Last updated
20 March 2026 — See all updates

This collection brings together information about persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

POPs are substances that:

  • persist in the environment
  • accumulate in living organisms
  • pose a risk to our health and the environment
  • have the potential for long-range environmental transport

POPs policy information

General POPs guidance

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) guidance

Waste upholstered domestic seating (WUDS) guidance

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) guidance

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) guidance

Live consultations and requests for information

Closed consultations and requests for information

Reports, research and evidence

The UK does research and analysis to inform our work and to manage the risks posed by POPs.

Research

Research on POPs is published on Defra Science Search, including:

National Implementation Plan

The Stockholm Convention requires the UK to:

  • develop, review and periodically update a National Implementation Plan (article 7)
  • report statistical data on its total quantities of production, import and export of each of the chemicals listed in Annex A and Annex B (article 15)

Read the UK National Implementation Plan on the Stockholm Convention website.

Reports

Read reports on the environmental hazards and risks from certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) being made or used in the UK.

Read the UK’s returns for national reporting in our POPs triennial report 2019 to 2021.

Updates to this page

Published 7 August 2024
Last updated 20 March 2026 show all updates

  1. Added a new call for comments under 'Live consultations and requests for information': Amendments to the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation 2026

  2. Added links to POPs research published on Defra Science Search, in the 'Reports, research and evidence' section. Also added 2 new calls for comments under 'Live consultations and requests for information': Call for comments on a revised indicative list for long-chain PFCAs, PFOA and PFHxS, their salts and related compounds 2026, and Call for comments on a revised draft risk profile of a substance proposed as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) 2026.

  3. Added links to publications 'Calculate the concentration of PCDDs and PCDFs in waste' and 'Environmental risk evaluation reports: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)'.

  4. Added a new call for comments under 'Live consultations and requests for information'. Comments are invited on indicative lists for long-chain PFCAs, PFOA and PFHxS, their salts and related compounds, until 30 June 2025.

  5. Added document collection for 'Reports, research and evidence'. This includes links to research and analysis published on Defra Science Search, the UK National Implementation Plan on the Stockholm Convention website, and the UK’s returns for national reporting in our POPs triennial report 2019 to 2021.

  6. The request for information on substances proposed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) 2024 has ended, and comments have been received.

  7. A request for information to feed into a draft Risk Profile, and draft Risk Management Evaluation for 2 chemical substances proposed as POPs to the UN’s POP Review Committee, has been added.

  8. Added link to a guide on 'When electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) becomes waste (WEEE)'.

  9. First published.

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