Country to prohibit or restrict several polluting compounds

China has banned or restricted certain chemicals that have been identified as persistent organic pollutants in order to fulfill its international obligations, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

According to a notice on the ministry's website, China in March banned most uses of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, which is used to protect fabrics from stains, among other things.

Its use will continue in some manufacturing sectors, as allowed under the Stockholm Convention, an international treaty on pollutants that China formally joined in 2004 - for example, in photo imaging, semiconductors, aviation hydraulic fluids, fire-extinguisher foam and some medical devices.