Australia: Prohibición prevista de cuatro contaminantes orgánicos persistentes: PeCB, PFOS, PFOA y PFHxS

 

Australia has published Proposed chemical management standards for four persistent organic pollutants: PeCB, PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS.  It is planning to ban these substances from 1 July 2024 (PeCB) or 1 July 2025 (PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS).

The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) has been developed by all Australian governments to efficiently and effectively manage the risks of industrial chemicals to the environment, while providing consistent requirements for businesses across Australia. The IChEMS Register records standards for the environmental management of chemicals, including risk management measures for specific industrial uses. In turn, the Australian federal government and each state and territory government will enact legislation to implement the standards in their jurisdictions.

The proposed decisions will assign the following chemicals, and products containing the chemicals, to Schedule 7 of the Register. This will prohibit their import, manufacture, use and export in Australia, with limited exceptions for unintentional trace contamination, research, disposal, and for articles (products) in use prior to the date of effect of the decision.

• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), including any of its branched isomers, its salts and any related compound that contains a linear or branched perfluoroheptyl (C7H15C) group and which can degrade to linear or branched PFOA;
• Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), including any of its branched isomers, its salts, perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride, and any substance containing a linear or branched perfluorooctane sulfonyl moiety and capable of degrading to PFOS (linear or branched);
• Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), including its linear and branched isomers, their salts and any substance containing a linear or branched perfluorohexylsulfonyl moiety that can degrade to PFHxS;
• Pentachlorabenzene (PeCB).

Las decisiones de programación propuestas tienen como objetivo:

• Promulgar normas para el Convenio de Estocolmo que enumera los contaminantes orgánicos persistentes (COP) que tienen usos industriales y que Australia aún no ha ratificado.
• Facilitar la ratificación de las listas de sustancias químicas del Convenio de Estocolmo, permitiendo a Australia cumplir con sus obligaciones en virtud del Convenio.
• Lograr una mejor protección del medio ambiente mediante una mejor gestión de los riesgos ambientales que plantean los productos químicos industriales.
• Provide a nationally consistent, transparent, predictable and streamlined approach to environmental risk management of industrial chemicals for governments, industry and the community.

To find out more about chemicals regulations, please contact the Product Compliance Institute directly.