Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) regulations apply to most products sold in various countries worldwide. Here are the current EU POP substances listed in PDF and Excel formats:
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) regulations apply to most products sold in various countries worldwide. Here are the current EU POP substances listed in PDF and Excel formats:
As with RoHS, Enviropass recommends the documentary approach with suppliers and subcontractors for testing against legal obligations like the European regulation 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants and non-mandatory requirements like IEC 61249-2-21 and JS709C on halogen-free and low-halogen.
This method offers the best value for your money, avoiding dozens of expensive analytical tests for potentially dangerous substances in a tested product.
By using the classic approach, you allow Enviropass to tackle the documentary assessment of your products, including:
Note that you can apply for testing services at a lower cost.
In addition to the Classic POP services, Deluxe POP gives you the tools to take control over POP compliance.
Deluxe POP includes:
Whenever necessary, you can rely on our testing lab capabilities to confirm compliance against halogen compounds.
There are several requirements regarding the halogenated compounds used in products, including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP), Halogen-Free, Low Halogen, RoHS, REACH, and California Proposition 65.
Contrary to POP, halogen-free and low-halogen requirements, including IEC 61249-2-21 and JS709C, are not mandatory; they are just electronics industry recommendations.
IEC 61249-2-21 only applies to printed circuit boards (PCB) and their laminates, whereas JS709C applies to all other components used in electronic products.
Notably, “halogen-free” should logically refer to “no halogen at all”. Nevertheless, standard IEC 61249-2-21 utilizes this term to describe low halogen concentrations.
POP is an acronym for Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Typically, POP chemicals are halogenated organic compounds that massively originate from industrial activities and manufactured goods, such as electrical and electronic equipment and other types of products.
POPs tend to migrate and accumulate in the cold parts of the world, like the poles.
POP substances exhibit high lipid solubility, because of their brominated or chlorinated molecular structures.
Thus, POPs migrate into the body’s lipids and the environment hardly destroys them. In other words, they bioaccumulate.
The main concern with the POP chemicals is that they may cause health and environmental issues by:
Since the Stockholm Convention of 2004, many jurisdictions and markets around the world have regulated several POP substances.
As a result, various countries prohibit or restrict certain POP substances, such as:
Examples of heavily restricted POP substances include:
Article 3 of the European Regulation 2019/1021 prohibits the use of any POP substances listed in Annex I on their own, in mixtures, or in articles. However, according to Article 4 of that same POP regulation, some exemptions may apply under certain conditions.
Many engineering applications employ halogenated polymeric materials and compounds. The halogen group contains bromine, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, and astatine. Manufacturers add brominated flame retardants (BFRs) or chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) to plastic materials, including thermoplastics, solder masks, insulation materials, printed board laminates, etc., to obtain necessary flame retardancy. Additionally, cable jacketing and vibration-damping materials frequently employ polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as their basic resin.
To lessen the negative environmental impacts of halogenated materials and compounds, the electronic industry has been attempting to create dependable and affordable substitutes for these materials and to follow available halogen-free and low-halogen standards.
There are different standards regulating halogenated compounds, including:
In today’s electronics industry, manufacturers must do more than simply build reliable printed circuit boards. They must also reduce hazardous substances, improve thermal stability, and meet increasingly strict environmental and safety expectations. That is exactly where IEC 61249-2-21 becomes important. As electronics continue to shrink, speed up, and power more advanced systems, PCB materials must perform under pressure. They must resist heat, support signal integrity, and comply with global material standards. Therefore, engineers, PCB fabricators, OEMs, and sourcing teams increasingly rely on IEC 61249-2-21 when they evaluate halogen-free laminate materials.
IEC 61249-2-21 is an international standard that defines the requirements for non-halogenated epoxide woven E-glass reinforced laminated sheets of defined flammability, copper-clad. In simpler terms, it covers a specific class of halogen-free PCB base materials used in printed circuit board manufacturing.
In other words, IEC 61249-2-21 helps manufacturers identify and control the performance of halogen-free laminate materials that support safe and consistent PCB production.
Moreover, this standard does not just define a material category. It also creates a common language between suppliers, engineers, auditors, buyers, and quality teams.
At its core, IEC 61249-2-21 focuses on halogen-free epoxy glass laminate materials for PCBs.
More specifically, it applies to:
This matters because PCB materials must do much more than hold copper in place. They must also withstand thermal stress, support drilling and plating, maintain dimensional stability, and survive soldering and assembly processes.
Consequently, IEC 61249-2-21 helps ensure that the selected material performs reliably in real manufacturing environments.
The International Electrochemical Commission (IEC) has established the standard IEC 61249-2-21 in response to the concerns about the adverse health and environmental impacts caused by halogens. This standard only applies to PCBs and printed board laminates and defines halogen-free as the following:
Halogens | Threshold |
|---|---|
Chlorine | Less or equals to 900 ppm |
Bromine | Less or equals to 900 ppm |
Total Halogens | Less or equals to 1,500 ppm |
Modern electronics demand more from every layer of the board. Devices run hotter, operate faster, and face stricter environmental regulations. As a result, material selection has become a strategic decision rather than a routine one.
That is why IEC 61249-2-21 matters.
First, it helps manufacturers standardize halogen-free laminate selection. Instead of relying on vague marketing claims like “eco-friendly” or “green PCB material,” engineers can specify a recognized international standard.
Second, it supports product consistency. When PCB manufacturers choose materials aligned with IEC 61249-2-21, they reduce uncertainty during fabrication, assembly, and long-term field use.
Third, it strengthens regulatory confidence. Since global markets increasingly favor lower-halogen and environmentally safer materials, companies can use this standard to support cleaner material strategies.
Finally, it improves supply chain communication. Procurement teams, laminate suppliers, and OEM quality departments can all reference the same benchmark.
Reliability drives every successful electronics product. A PCB may look perfect on day one, but if the laminate fails under heat, moisture, or process stress, the entire product can fail.
That is why IEC 61249-2-21 matters beyond compliance.
It helps manufacturers choose materials that can support thermal endurance, mechanical integrity, flame resistance, and production stability.
For example, during PCB fabrication, laminate materials face drilling, etching, pressing, lamination, plating, and soldering. Meanwhile, during assembly, they must tolerate reflow cycles and thermal shock. Afterward, in the field, they must continue performing under electrical and environmental stress.
Therefore, using materials aligned with IEC 61249-2-21 can reduce risk across the entire product lifecycle.
One of the most important aspects of IEC 61249-2-21 is its emphasis on defined flammability through a vertical burning test approach. This is important because flame resistance remains essential in PCB applications.
Electronics generate heat. Faults can occur. Materials must resist ignition and slow flame spread.
Thus, IEC 61249-2-21 does not simply promote greener materials. It also reinforces practical safety performance.
That balance matters. Manufacturers do not want to sacrifice safety to gain environmental benefits. Instead, they want both.
And this standard helps them pursue both.
The short answer is anyone involved in PCB materials, design, sourcing, manufacturing, or compliance.
More specifically, IEC 61249-2-21 matters to PCB manufacturers, OEMs, product designers, procurement teams, quality assurance departments, and compliance specialists.
PCB manufacturers need laminate materials that process consistently and perform reliably. OEMs and designers must choose materials that support performance, durability, and regulatory goals. Procurement teams need clear specifications that reduce supplier ambiguity and purchasing risk. Quality teams must verify that incoming materials meet technical and compliance expectations. Meanwhile, compliance and sustainability teams often need documented material standards to support customer, market, or environmental requirements.
In each case, IEC 61249-2-21 gives teams a stronger basis for decision-making.
It is also useful to understand where IEC 61249-2-21 sits within the broader IEC laminate family.
Over time, the IEC introduced additional standards for more specialized or higher-performance applications. Later standards address non-halogenated woven E-glass laminates with more defined high-frequency or lead-free assembly performance requirements, including higher glass transition temperatures in some cases.
However, that does not reduce the relevance of IEC 61249-2-21.
On the contrary, IEC 61249-2-21 remains a foundational reference point for halogen-free PCB laminate classification. It still helps buyers and engineers understand where a material fits in the compliance and performance landscape.
If your company buys or specifies PCB materials, do not treat IEC 61249-2-21 as a background document. Use it actively.
Ask laminate suppliers whether their material aligns with IEC 61249-2-21. Request technical datasheets and compliance declarations. Compare material systems based on process compatibility and performance needs. Align design teams and sourcing teams around the same specification language. Document the standard in procurement, QA, and engineering workflows.
As a result, you can reduce confusion, improve supplier communication, and strengthen material traceability.
That is especially valuable when you serve regulated industries or high-reliability applications.
In a market that demands both performance and responsibility, IEC 61249-2-21 stands out as a practical and important material standard.
It helps PCB manufacturers, engineers, and sourcing teams move beyond generic halogen-free claims and work with a clearer, internationally recognized specification. At the same time, it supports safer flame-retardant systems, better manufacturing consistency, and stronger compliance alignment.
So, if your business designs, builds, sources, or audits printed circuit boards, you should not overlook IEC 61249-2-21.
Instead, you should treat it as a smart reference point for selecting reliable halogen-free laminate materials in a fast-changing electronics world.
Ultimately, IEC 61249-2-21 does more than define a material. It helps shape better PCB decisions.
On the other hand, JEDEC has developed standard JS709C. This standard offers definitions for low-halogen electronic devices that may include the halogens bromine and chlorin used as BFRs, CFRs, and PVC. According to this requirement, each component of an electronic product must contain less than 1000 ppm of bromine if it comes from BFRs and less than 1000 ppm of chlorine if it comes from CFRs, PVC, PVC block polymers, PVC congeners, PVC copolymers, or polymer alloys containing PVC. This requirement applies to all materials in electronic products, excluding printed board laminates. Electronic devices may contain plastics with higher bromine and chlorine concentrations as long as these halogens are not used as flame retardants or PVC.
These two standards utilize distinct terminology: JS709C employs the word low-halogen, whereas IEC 61249-2-21 uses the term halogen-free. Additionally, as mentioned above, the concentration limits are slightly different.
Notably, neither of these two standards covers other halogens (i.e., fluorine, iodine, and astatine). Despite being far less frequent than bromine and chlorine, fluorine-based chemicals are becoming more prevalent in electronic components, including flame retardants for polycarbonates. Iodine has extremely few applications and astatine is ineffective since it is a rare radioactive element. Therefore, neither standard ensures that a product is actually “halogen-free” or “low-halogen”. As a result, some companies do further investigations and include fluorine in their assessments.
There are a few more industry standards defining halogen contents used in products, specifically in PBCs, including:
Standard IPC-4101E – Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Printed Boards
Standard UL 746E – Polymeric Materials — Industrial Laminates, Filament Wound Tubing, Vulcanized Fibre, and Materials Used in Printed Wiring Boards
For many years, electronics manufacturers widely used halogenated flame retardants in PCB laminates. However, as environmental awareness and compliance pressure grew, the industry began shifting toward halogen-free alternatives.
That shift continues today.
Halogen-free materials appeal to manufacturers for several reasons. First, they support more environmentally conscious product development. Second, they help brands align with sustainability goals. Third, they often fit customer requirements in industries such as automotive electronics, consumer electronics, industrial automation, and telecom infrastructure.
Accordingly, standards like IEC 61249-2-21 play a critical role because it gives this transition a technical foundation rather than leaving it to assumptions.
Instead of guessing whether a material is suitable, companies can evaluate it against a recognized standard.
Selling products containing POP chemicals above the national permitted limits is prohibited and can jeopardize the image of your company.
For example, the European Commission maintains the Safety Gate Rapex website exposing products and companies failing to comply with POP, but also RoHS, REACH SVHC, and other regulations.
Non-compliant products are usually withdrawn from the EU market, and product recalls are common.
POP stands for Persistent Organic Pollutants—chemicals that last a long time in the environment, can travel long distances, and bioaccumulate (build up) in living organisms.
POPs are concerning because they persist and can accumulate in fatty tissue, and are linked to harmful impacts on human health and the environment.
Yes—POPs are regulated in many jurisdictions. The Enviropass page highlights legal obligations such as the EU POP Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 and also mentions Canada’s restrictions.
It ensures consistent material performance, improves safety, and helps manufacturers meet environmental and compliance standards.
No. POP compliance is tied to laws/regulations (like the EU POP Regulation). Halogen-free / low-halogen is usually an industry/customer requirement used in electronics, not automatically a legal requirement.
POP compliance = legal restrictions on specific POP substances.
Halogen-free / low-halogen = usually industry requirements/recommendations, not laws (depending on sector/customer).
Most start with supplier declarations + documentation checks and do testing only when needed, like for higher-risk parts/materials.
Enviropass helps companies navigate environmental compliance and material regulations in the electronics industry. The company supports manufacturers, OEMs, and suppliers by simplifying standards such as IEC 61249-2-21, ensuring that products meet global requirements for safety, sustainability, and regulatory approval. By providing expert guidance and practical solutions, Enviropass enables businesses to manage compliance efficiently while improving product reliability and market readiness.
Do you need to know more about POP and how you can verify compliance? Contact Enviropass!
