UK Proposes Amendments to POPs Regulation: Five Chemicals Restricted, PFOS Limits Tightened

News Brief

On March 18, 2026, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) officially launched an eight-week public consultation proposing significant amendments to the UK Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation (UK POPs Regulation). The consultation will close on May 13, 2026, and invites feedback from chemical companies, environmental organizations, and research institutions.

The amendments are expected to take effect on December 16, 2026. The plan involves adding five new high-risk chemical substances to the list of substances prohibited from manufacture, use, and placing on the market (Annex I of the Regulation). It also proposes significantly tightening the regulatory thresholds for PFOS to further strengthen the chemical compliance framework in Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland).

Core Amendments: Limits and Exemptions for Five New Controlled Substances

According to the draft amendment, the following substances are proposed for addition to Annex I, with established Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limits:

Except for Chlorpyrifos, key time-limited specific use exemptions for the other four substances are as follows:

Dechlorane Plus

1. Used in aerospace, space, and defense, and medical imaging equipment, permitted until February 26, 2030.

2. Used for spare parts and repair of articles in the following applications, provided Dechlorane Plus was originally used in the manufacture of those articles:

• Aerospace;

• Space;

• Defense;

• Land vehicles;

• Stationary industrial machinery for agriculture, forestry, or construction;

• Marine, gardening, forestry, and outdoor power equipment;

• Instruments for analysis, measurement, control, monitoring, testing, production, or inspection.

Permitted until the end of the article's service life or December 31, 2044, whichever is earlier.

3. Used for spare parts and repair of articles in medical devices or in-vitro diagnostic devices, provided Dechlorane Plus was originally used in manufacture; permitted until the end of the article's service life.

Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs)

1. When present in polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micropowders produced by ionizing radiation or thermal degradation, the sum of concentrations must be ≤ 1 mg/kg (0.0001% by weight), provided they are handled to reduce the sum of concentrations to below the 0.025 mg/kg limit. Emissions of LC-PFCAs, their salts, and related compounds during manufacture and use should be avoided or minimized.

2. When present in fluoropolymers, the sum of concentrations must be ≤ 0.1 mg/kg (0.00001% by weight).

3. Used for the following:

• Semiconductors designed for components in internal combustion engine-driven marine vessels.

• Replacement parts for land-based motor vehicles for which batch production has ceased.

Permitted until the end of the service life of the item to be repaired, or December 31, 2041, whichever is earlier.

• Semiconductors designed for replacement parts not covered in points (a) and (b), permitted until December 16, 2031.

Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs)

1. Used in the following applications until December 16, 2031:

(a) Flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC), limited to:

(i) the construction sector (excluding indoor residential flooring);

(ii) wires and cables in construction;

(iii) wires and cables in medical and in-vitro diagnostic devices;

(iv) calendered film for packaging (excluding food packaging).

(b) Conveyor belts used in coal mines.

(c) Resilient foams for thermal insulation.

(d) Adhesives and sealants, limited to:

(i) polysulfide sealants and one-component polyurethane foams for door/window sealing;

(ii) waterproof and anti-corrosion coatings;

(iii) aerospace and defense applications.

(e) Non-structural bonding in aerospace and defense products.

(f) Fat-liquoring components in leather (excluding products for children).

(g) Emergency response pyrotechnic devices.

(h) Paints and coatings for ammunition and ammunition marking.

2. Used as extreme temperature and pressure additives in metalworking fluids for heavy-duty processes in professional/industrial settings with collection systems; permitted until December 16, 2036.

3. Used in polymers and rubber for spare parts and repair of articles where MCCPs were originally used, including:

• land-based motor vehicles/machinery for agriculture, construction, etc.;

• EEE for medical/diagnostic/analytical instruments;

• aerospace and defense.

Permitted until the end of service life or December 31, 2041 , whichever is earlier.

4. Used in the following applications until December 31, 2041:

• Pyrotechnic defense devices for ammunition to achieve specific effects;

• Intumescent coatings and paints for space and defense equipment and their packaging to protect against extreme temperatures;

5. Coatings and paints used for spare parts and repair of space and defense equipment, provided MCCPs were originally used in the manufacture of that equipment, may be used until the end of the equipment's service life (including its repair and maintenance).

UV-328

1. Used in the following until February 26, 2030:

• land-based motor vehicles;

• industrial coatings for engineering machinery/rail vehicles and heavy-duty coatings for large steel structures;

• mechanical separators in blood collection tubes;

• triacetyl cellulose (TAC) film in polarizers;

• photographic paper.

2. Used for spare parts of articles where UV-328 was originally used, including:

• land-based motor vehicles;

• stationary industrial machinery;

• LCDs for analytical/monitoring instruments (excluding medical).

Permitted until the end of service life or December 31, 2044.

3. Used for the following applications:

(a) Used for replacement parts of the following articles for medical purposes, provided that UV-328 was originally used in the manufacture of those articles:

(i) Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic devices;

(ii) Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for instruments used for analysis, measurement, control, monitoring, testing, production, or inspection;

May be used until the end of the article's service life;

(b) Insulation blankets and deck water seal tapes on aircraft;

As well as polyurethane and polyamide adhesives and polyurethane coatings used for structural, mechanical, internal, and electrical components, and for emergency, propulsion, environmental control, and flight control systems on aircraft, which may be used until December 31, 2030.

Significant Tightening of PFOS Limits

The revision also adjusts the limits for Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its derivatives:

• Current Limit: 10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight) in substances or mixtures.

• Proposed New Limits:

• PFOS and its salts: Reduced to 0.025 mg/kg (0.0000025% by weight).

• PFOS-related compounds (derivatives): Reduced to 1 mg/kg (0.0001% by weight).

This change will force related manufacturing industries (e.g., metal plating, coatings) to re-examine impurity control within their supply chains. Additionally, the UK government is monitoring EU limit revisions for Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in recycled plastics to evaluate if similar controls are needed in Great Britain.

POPs Regulatory Framework in the UK

As a party to the Stockholm Convention, the UK is obligated to transpose new controlled substances into domestic law. Post-Brexit, the UK retained the EU POPs Regulation (EU 2019/1021) as "UK POPs Regulation," granting it independent legislative authority to adjust limits, exemptions, and timelines based on its own environmental data and economic assessments.

REACH24H Reminder: Companies should stay informed of global POPs regulatory updates and adjust their export products to ensure compliance. For more information or assistance, please feel free to contact us at customer@reach24h.com.