The Ministry of Ecology and Environment provides an interpretation of the newly formulated “Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from the Pesticide Manufacturing Industry.”

Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued three newly formulated standards, including the “Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from the Foundry Industry” (GB 39726—2020) and the “Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from the Pesticide Manufacturing Industry” (GB 39727—2020), as well as four amendment notices to existing standards, such as the “Emission Standard for Pollutants from the Inorganic Chemical Industry” (GB 31573—2015). The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has released explanatory notes on these seven standards and amendments; below, only those pertaining to… are listed. Emission Standard for Air Pollutants from the Pesticide Manufacturing Industry (GB 39727—2020) Interpretation of.

What is the background behind the issuance of this standard?

At the current stage, China faces dual pressures: the persistent severity of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution and the increasingly prominent issue of ozone (O3) pollution. Particularly during the summer months, O3 has become the primary factor driving air quality exceedances in some cities. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are key precursors to both PM2.5 and O3, and certain VOCs are toxic or malodorous substances, making them among the priority atmospheric pollutants subject to stringent control in China. To strengthen VOCs pollution prevention and control and to refine a “sector‑plus‑comprehensive” VOC emissions standards framework, it is necessary to establish atmospheric pollutant emission standards for typical VOC‑emitting sectors, such as the pesticide industry.

After long-term, rapid development, China’s pesticide industry has become the world’s largest producer and exporter of pesticides, capable of manufacturing over 500 active‑ingredient formulations and producing more than 300 formulated products year-round. The sector boasts over 30,000 registered pesticide formulation products. As a major source of VOC emissions, the pesticide industry features lengthy production processes, extensive use of diverse raw materials in large quantities, low product yields, and substantial pollutant discharges characterized by complex compositions and predominantly toxic and hazardous substances. For many years, atmospheric pollutant emissions from this industry have been governed by the Comprehensive Emission Standard for Air Pollutants (GB 16297–1996), which imposes relatively lenient emission limits and lacks sector‑specific measures. There is an urgent need to establish dedicated industry standards that align with the principles of precision‑based, science‑driven, and law‑compliant pollution control, raise entry barriers, and rigorously regulate emission management.

What are the key features of this standard in terms of emission control?

During pesticide production, numerous process steps—including the storage and transportation of VOC‑containing raw and auxiliary materials, chemical reactions, and separation and purification—can all result in VOC emissions. Moreover, fugitive emissions are substantial, and significant releases of toxic, hazardous, and malodorous substances also occur. This standard adopts a comprehensive control approach that spans the entire lifecycle—from source reduction and process control to end‑of‑pipe treatment—and employs both organized and unorganized emission controls to effectively reduce pollutant discharges.

1. Strengthen source- and process‑level controls, and comprehensively enhance the management of fugitive emissions.

Controlling fugitive emissions of VOCs is one of the major challenges in the agrochemical industry. In line with the sector’s specific characteristics, the standard implements full‑process oversight of fugitive emissions. First, differentiated control measures are applied to the use of raw and auxiliary materials with low VOC content, encouraging enterprises to reduce emissions at the source. Second, clear, prescriptive control requirements are established for fugitive emission sources—including the storage of raw and auxiliary materials, production processes, and wastewater treatment. Finally, to assess the effectiveness of fugitive emission controls, recommended threshold values for on‑site monitoring concentrations are specified; local authorities may adopt these thresholds independently, based on their specific environmental protection needs.

2. Integrate comprehensive projects with those targeting specific pollutant species to achieve all‑round control of VOC emissions.

The pesticide industry emits a wide variety of atmospheric pollutants. It commonly uses dozens of organic solvents and is also associated with toxic and hazardous inorganic pollutants such as hydrogen chloride, ammonia, and cyanide. To comprehensively control atmospheric emissions from the pesticide sector, a combined approach—integrating “comprehensive parameters” with “specific pollutant parameters”—is adopted to ensure rigorous regulatory oversight. The comprehensive parameters include non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), thereby controlling the overall emission of VOCs. The specific pollutant parameters prioritize key substances: for example, benzene-series compounds are regulated based on their photochemical reactivity; phosgene and hydrogen cyanide are controlled to mitigate health risks; and hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are managed to prevent odor‑related public nuisance.

3. Implement dual‑indicator management of concentration and efficiency to achieve effective VOCs reduction.

While maintaining the conventional approach of controlling emissions based on concentration limits, and taking into account the characteristics of VOCs ventilation emissions, a dual-control strategy—combining emission concentration and removal efficiency—is applied to key sources with high emission volumes. When the initial NMHC emission rate from a workshop or production facility exceeds 3 kg/h (tightened to 2 kg/h in priority regions), removal efficiency must also be controlled, with a minimum treatment efficiency of 80%, effectively preventing dilution‑based emissions and reducing the total VOCs discharge.

What is the feasibility of implementing the standard?

With respect to particulate matter and acidic/alkaline waste gases, most pesticide manufacturers have installed effective treatment facilities, so further upgrades are generally unnecessary. As for VOC emissions, the relevant control technologies are now well‑established; in key regions such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei area, pesticide producers have undertaken recent upgrades to their environmental protection systems, with many enterprises installing high‑efficiency treatment units like regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) and adsorption systems, thereby meeting emission‑control requirements.

For some enterprises, upgrading and retrofitting environmental protection facilities will entail a corresponding increase in production costs; however, based on calculations and surveys, this increase remains within an acceptable range. Given that existing facilities require a certain period to achieve compliance, this standard provides a two-year transition period for such enterprises.

During the standard‑development process, extensive industry consultations were conducted, and thorough discussions were held with industry associations and relevant enterprises. All stakeholders have now reached consensus on the implementation of the standard.

What are the environmental and social benefits of implementing the standard?

At present, China has 2,010 entities holding pesticide registration certificates, including 719 enterprises above designated size, of which 586 are engaged in the manufacture of chemical pesticides—major sources of VOCs and inorganic pollutants in the pesticide manufacturing industry. Implementation of this standard is expected to achieve annual VOC emission reductions of approximately 200,000 tons, thereby contributing positively to improvements in ambient air quality. At the same time, it will effectively reduce the release of toxic, harmful, and malodorous substances into the environment, helping to protect public health and mitigate nuisance caused by unpleasant odors.

Through the implementation of standards and stringent environmental准入 requirements, fair competition within the industry will be further enhanced, the “bad money drives out good” problem will be effectively addressed, and the industry’s transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development will be advanced.

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China