Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

Certain toxic chemicals and their precursors are subject to legal requirements under the CWC, the first arms-control treaty to introduce a verifiable ban on an entire class of weapons of mass destruction across 193 countries (including the UK). The University is required to make an annual declaration on the productions, processing, consumption and import and export of these substances.

Schedule 1, 2 and 3 Chemicals

If you have in this calendar year bought or used any chemicals which were purchased in previous years or imported or exported or produced any of the chemicals in the Schedule 1 list, the Schedule 2 list, or in the Schedule 3 list, you need to fill in the template forms for the annual return, which will take place next January
The following table will help you decide which CWC templates you need to fill in:

Chemical	S1 Template	S2 Template	S3 Template
S1 bought in this calendar year from a UK company and not used	✓	x	x
S1 bought in this calendar year from a UK company and used all or part of it in this calendar year	✓	x	x
S1 bought before this calendar year from a UK company and used all or part of it in this calendar year	✓	x	x
S1 bought before this calendar year from a UK company and NOT used any part of it in this calendar year	✓	x	x
S2 bought in this calendar year from a UK company and not used	x	✓	x
S2 bought in this calendar year from a UK company and used all or part of it in this calendar year	x	✓	x
S2 bought before this calendar year from a UK company and used all or part of it in this calendar year	x	✓	x
S2 bought before this calendar year from a UK company and NOT used any part of it in this calendar year	x	x	x
S3 bought in this calendar year from a UK company and used or not used	x	x	✓
S3 produced/manufactured in this calendar year	x	x	✓
S2 or S3 imported and/or exported in this calendar year	Contact us for further information

Definitions under CWC used in the S1, S2 and S3 templates:

Production: formation through a chemical reactions or synthesis – that is, arising from a chemical change involving the formation and/or breaking of chemical bonds
Processing: physical manipulation of a chemical without a chemical reaction taking place, that is without the formation or breaking of chemical bonds i.e. where the chemical is not converted into another chemical e.g. formulation, extraction, purification, crystallization, distillation, condensation, consumption, dilution, concentration, compression and dispersion
Consumption: conversion of a chemical into another chemical through a chemical reaction involving the making or breaking of chemical bonds (i.e. bond rearrangement)

If you possess any chemicals in the Schedule 1 list, or have in this calendar year bought, or used any schedule 1 chemicals which were purchased in previous years, you should contact the Regulatory Compliance Team immediately. All Schedule 1 chemical possession and usage requires a license. If you need a licence for any Schedule 1 chemicals, please contact the Regulatory Compliance Team for help with the application.

Regulatory Update:

Please note the following additions to the CWC Schedule 1 chemicals licensing regime and Schedule 1 list of toxic chemicals (effective from 8 January 2021):

A. Toxic chemicals:

(1) Р-alkyl (H or ≤C₁₀, incl. cycloalkyl) N-(1-(dialkyl(≤C₁₀, incl. cycloalkyl)amino))alkylidene(H or ≤C₁₀, incl. cycloalkyl) phosphonamidic fluorides and corresponding alkylated or protonated salts

e.g. N-(1-(di-n-decylamino)-n-decylidene)-P-decylphosphonamidic fluoride (CAS No. 2387495-99-8)

Methyl-(1-(diethylamino)ethylidene)phosphonamidofluoridate (CAS No. 2387496-12-8)

(2) O-alkyl (H or ≤C₁₀, incl. cycloalkyl) N-(1-(dialkyl(≤C₁₀, incl. cycloalkyl)amino))alkylidene(H or ≤C₁₀, incl. cycloalkyl) phosphoramidofluoridates and corresponding alkylated or protonated salts

e.g. O-n-Decyl N-(1-(di-n-decylamino)-n-decylidene)phosphoramidofluoridate (CAS No. 2387496-00-4)

Methyl (1-(diethylamino)ethylidene)phosphoramidofluoridate (CAS No. 2387496-04-8)

Ethyl (1-(diethylamino)ethylidene)phosphoramidofluoridate (CAS No. 2387496-06-0)

(3) Methyl-(bis(diethylamino)methylene)phosphonamidofluoridate (CAS No. 2387496-14-0)

(4) Carbamates (quaternaries and bisquaternaries ofdimethylcarbamoyloxypyridines)

Quaternaries of dimethylcarbamoyloxypyridines:

1-[N,N-dialkyl(≤C₁₀)-N-(n-(hydroxyl, cyano, acetoxy)alkyl(≤C₁₀)) ammonio]-n-[N-(3-dimethylcarbamoxy-α-picolinyl)-N,N-dialkyl(≤C₁₀) ammonio]decane dibromide (n=1-8)

e.g. 1-[N,N-dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxy)ethylammonio]-10-[N-(3-dimethylcarbamoxy-α-picolinyl)-N,N-dimethylammonio]decane dibromide (CAS No. 77104-62-2)

Bisquaternaries of dimethylcarbamoyloxypyridines:

1,n-Bis[N-(3-dimethylcarbamoxy-α-picolyl)-N,N-dialkyl(≤C₁₀) ammonio]-alkane-(2,(n-1)-dione) dibromide (n=2-12)

e.g. 1,10-Bis[N-(3-dimethylcarbamoxy-α-picolyl)-N-ethyl-N-methylammonio]decane-2,9-dione dibromide (CAS No. 77104-00-8).

What legislation applies?

It is the responsibility of anyone who plans on disposing CWC chemicals to do so in accordance with the applicable legislation. You cannot use the standard waste contractor to dispose of these chemicals. The contractor collecting them must hold a special licence to receive them. Contact the Regulatory Compliance Team for advice before the disposal of such material.

Last reviewed: November 2024; Next review: November 2025