persistent organic pollutant

Chemicals

Stockholm Convention

Waving flags of Switzerland, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the European Union

The Stockholm Convention is an international environment agreement on the elimination or restriction of the production, use and release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) read more

News on Chemicals

Phasing out the flame retardant HBCD

Builders insulating a house

For a long time the chemical hexabromocyclododecane, or HBCD, was the most economically significant flame retardant used in polystyrene foam for insulation materials. Our background paper, also available in English, provides answers to the most important questions concerning the phase-out. read more

Soil | Land

Substances in the soil

Photo of soils in a glas.

Soil pollutants are ubiquitous. They stem from natural sources, factories, farming, transportation, and households. Deposits of such soil pollutants can seep into the groundwater or are uptaken by plants, they can pose an environmental and health risk. read more

The Umweltbundesamt

For our environment