POPs Testing Service Consultation

JJR LAB provides a one-stop solution for POPs chemical testing and certification. With an experienced engineering and business team and over twelve years of testing experience, we are equipped to meet a full range of testing and certification needs.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) refer to synthetic chemical substances that can persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and cause adverse effects on human health.

POPs possess four main characteristics: high toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and long-range environmental transport. For humans located at the top of the biological food chain, these toxicities can be magnified by more than 70,000 times compared to their initial levels.

Considering the severe hazards of POPs—such as their high toxicity, persistence, accumulation, and high mobility—multiple countries jointly signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2001 to promote the phase-out and reduction of these substances.

EU POPs Restricted Substances Requirements

• Tetrabromodiphenyl ether, pentabromodiphenyl ether, hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, decabromodiphenyl ether: The limit for any single substance among the 5 is ≤ 10 mg/kg (ppm); the sum of the 5 substances in mixtures or articles is ≤ 500 mg/kg. Tetrabromo-, pentabromo-, hexabromo-, heptabromo-, and decabromodiphenyl ethers in RoHS products are exempted from POPs regulations.

• Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS): Substances and mixtures ≤ 10 mg/kg; articles ≤ 1000 mg/kg; textiles or coated materials ≤ 1 µg/m².

• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related substances: PFOA and its salts present in substances, mixtures, or articles ≤ 0.025 mg/kg; PFOA-related substances in substances, mixtures, or articles ≤ 1 mg/kg.

• Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs): Substances/mixtures < 1%; articles < 0.15%.

• Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD): Substances, mixtures, articles, and flame-retardant parts of articles ≤ 100 mg/kg (0.01% by weight).

• Pentachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), hexabromobiphenyl, hexachlorobutadiene: Prohibited.

• Chlordane, endosulfan, hexachlorocyclohexane (including lindane), heptachlor, DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, toxaphene, mirex, chlordecone, pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters, dicofol: Pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters in substances, mixtures, and articles ≤ 5 mg/kg; all others are Prohibited.

POPs Testing Items

All types of products sold to the EU must be disassembled into homogeneous materials (including both accessible and inaccessible materials) for testing. Testing is not required for materials such as metal, ceramics, or glass. However, for non-metals such as plastics, rubber, sponges, textiles, and coatings, specific POPs testing items will be recommended based on the intended application of the material.

Plastics and Rubber Testing Items

• Brominated diphenyl ethers, pentabromodiphenyl ether, hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, SCCPs, HBCDD, PCBs, PCNs.

Electroplating Solutions, Electroplated Labels, Coatings, and Printed Textile Materials Testing Items

• PFOS, PFOA, PCP.

Varnishes and Adhesives Testing Items

• PCBs, PCNs.

Electronic Components and SMD ICs Testing Items

• Brominated diphenyl ethers, pentabromodiphenyl ether, hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether, SCCPs, HBCDD, PCBs, PCNs.

POPs Certification Process

1. Send samples

2. Testing

3. Issue a draft report (upon passing the test)

4. Verify the draft report (ensure all details are correct)

5. Issue the final certificate and report

The general turnaround time for processing POPs certification is approximately 7 working days.