Governments Agree to Global Ban on PFOA at UN Meeting

Governments agreed to a global ban of PFOA - a persistent pollutant with known harmful effects on health and the environment - during the 9th Conference of the Parties (COP9) of the Stockholm Convention. However, the ban includes a number of exemptions, including use in semiconductor manufacturing, firefighting foams, protective textiles, photographic coatings, and medical devices. As part of the agreement, governments implemented a five-year plan to end the use of PFOS in firefighting foams including the prohibition of their production, export or import.