Automatic fire suppression health effects. From the mid-1960s Halon 1301 was the industry standard for protecting high-value assets from the threat of fire. Halon 1301 had many benefits as a fire suppression agent; it is fast-acting, safe for assets and required minimal storage space. Halon 1301's major drawbacks are that it depletes atmospheric ozone and is potentially harmful to humans. Since 1987, some 191 nations have signed The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible
Aarhus Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants housed 53 different country members and alliance. The protocol was amended on 18 December 2009, but the amended version has not yet come into force. As of May 2013, the protocol has been ratified by 31 states and the European Union. In the United States, the protocol is an executive agreement that does not require Senate approval. However, legislation is needed to resolve inconsistencies between provisions of the protocol and existing U.S. laws (specifically the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act). The following substances are contained in the CLRTAP POPs Protocol. The document focuses