Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Waste barrels

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are a group of organic chemicals that remain stable over long periods of time and are toxic to humans, animals and the environment. The term POPs is attributed to those specific organic chemicals that have been designated and listed as POPs under the Listing of POPs in the Stockholm Convention.

POPs bioaccumulate, meaning they become more concentrated inside the bodies of living things and accumulate in food and human tissue. For some POPs, even low levels have been linked to health issues e.g., increased cancer risk, reproductive disorders, endocrine (hormonal) disruption and increased birth defects.
POPs stay in the environment for a long time and can travel long distances in air and water causing pollution far away from where they were originally used.

Some POPs were made for particular uses - these are known as intentional POPs, for example:

Certain specific pesticides that have been used in the past in agriculture including lindane, dieldrin, DDT and endosulfan.
PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS which are PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that are designated as POPs, and have been used in a range of products including non-stick cookware, waterproof outdoor clothing, food packaging, medical devices, and fire-fighting foams.
Certain specific BFRs (brominated flame retardants) were used to treat electrical equipment (e.g. plastics used equipment), textiles and furniture, to reduce the risk of fire spreading.
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were added in the past to electrical transformers and capacitors, due to their ability to conduct heat. They were used mainly in industry settings prior to the mid-1980s with heavy electrical usage. Some PCB-containing electrical equipment may still be in use but will be completely phased out by 2025 under the Stockholm Convention.

Other POPs are released into the environment from burning fossil fuels or waste - these are known as unintentional POPs, for example:

Dioxins and furans are very harmful substances that are created and released into the air when materials such as fossil fuels and waste are burned – even when we burn solid fuels in our homes. Backyard burning of waste is illegal as it can be a significant source of a range of pollutants including dioxins and furans.

People are mainly exposed to POPs through food. POPs which are released into the environment can enter the food chain when they are deposited on soil or through our rivers, lakes and seas. Therefore, it is important to prevent the release of POPs into the environment in order to prevent damage to the environment and protect human health.

Ireland’s POPs National Implementation Plan (2018)

Under the UN Stockholm Convention on POPs each participating country must take administrative and legislative actions to prevent the environmental impacts of POPs. The requirements of the Stockholm Convention are enacted into EU law by Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 and into Irish law by S.I. No. 146 of 2020. The Republic of Ireland signed up to the Stockholm Convention in 2010 and under Article 7 of the Convention, is required to develop and regularly update a National Implementation Plan on POPs as new POPs are restricted or banned.

The EPA, as the competent authority, reviewed and updated the National Implementation Plan on POPs in 2018, in consultation with a number of public authorities, national stakeholders and the public. It includes an assessment of POPs in Ireland and details an Action Plan of measures to be carried out to support the control of POPs.

As part of the POP’s Action Plan, the EPA are investigating the risks posed by certain POPs to human health and the environment in the Irish context including PFAS in fire-fighting foams, POPs in landfill leachate and PCBs in building materials. Further details on these studies are available through the links provided below.

The EPA is reviewing and updating the National Implementation Plan on POPs. A Public Consultation on the draft Third Update of Ireland's National Implementation Plan on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is in progress. The closing date for submissions is 17:00 on Thursday 12th February 2026.