18 categories of chemicals have been included in the Priority Control Chemicals List.

Release Date:

2020-11-13

Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Health Commission jointly issued the “List of Priority-Controlled Chemicals (Second Batch),” which includes 18 chemicals or chemical categories.

This List includes: confirmed human carcinogens such as benzene and o‑toluidine; persistent organic pollutants such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and dioxins; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzo[a]pyrene; heavy metals including thallium and its compounds; and other substances. It covers industries such as petrochemicals, plastics, rubber, pharmaceuticals, textiles, dyes, leather processing, electroplating, non‑ferrous metal smelting, and mining.

These chemicals generally exhibit two key characteristics: first, they are produced and used extensively in China or are widely detected in environmental matrices, resulting in a high potential for environmental exposure; second, they possess significant intrinsic hazards.

The List prioritizes the selection of chemicals that should be subject to priority environmental risk management, with two primary objectives: first, to serve as a “driving force” by providing foundational support for the environmental risk management of toxic and hazardous pollutants in water, air, and soil; and second, to help the public and relevant enterprises fully understand the environmental and health hazards associated with the chemicals they produce and use, thereby enhancing awareness and capacity in chemical environmental risk management.

The “Catalogue” sets forth a range of potential environmental risk management and control measures, including: incorporating substances into the National Catalogue of Toxic and Harmful Air/Water Pollutants and the National Catalogue of Priority-Controlled Toxic and Harmful Substances for environmental risk management; conducting mandatory clean‑production audits and ensuring public disclosure of relevant information in accordance with the law; and, in line with applicable national mandatory standards and the “National Catalogue of Encouraged Alternatives to Toxic and Harmful Raw Materials (Products),” imposing restrictions on the use of specific chemicals or promoting their substitution.

It is reported that, at the end of 2017, the former Ministry of Environmental Protection and other agencies issued the “Priority Control Chemicals List (First Batch),” which includes 22 categories of chemical substances such as 1,3-butadiene, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, dichloromethane, and formaldehyde.