- Department:Evaluation Management Division
To cooperatively prevent counterfeit pesticides with the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, and strengthen the operational management of organotin compounds, the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan (EPA) revised the “Categories and Management of Handling for Toxic Chemical Substances”. In accordance with international control trends, EPA banned the use of organotin compounds such as tributyltin oxide and triphenyltin chloride, etc., in the manufacture of biocides, anti-fouling paints or anti-fouling systems. Besides, the toxicity classifications of these organotin compounds such as tributyltin oxide and triphenyltin chloride, etc., also been adjusted and updated the Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CAS No.). For the adjustment of the toxicity classification of organotin compounds, the existing operators should comply with regulations regarding accident prevention and emergency response of the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act (TCCSCA), a buffer period of six months to one and a half years for phased implementation.
In 2022, an underground pesticide factory was seized in Yunlin. The illegal company produced a counterfeit pesticide commonly known as “White Ointment” by using the toxic chemical substance “triphenyltin chloride”. The Yunlin County Environmental Protection Bureau (YEPB) found that this illegal company imported a total of 33.5 tons of triphenyltin chloride from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, they did not comply with the TCCSCA, which require operators to report their operating records properly. Thus, the YEPB imposed a fine and abolished its approval documents of toxic chemical substances, as well as referred it to prosecution agency for prosecute its misdeclaration and forged documents.
To jointly prevent the misuse and abuse of organotin compounds, the EPA referred to international control regulations, investigated domestic operational conditions, consulted with experts and scholars, and then revised the prohibition and restriction regulations of 10 organotin compounds, including tributyltin oxide and triphenyltin chloride, and so on. To strengthen the management of organotin compounds, these 10 chemical substances are now prohibited from being used in manufacturing biocides, anti-fouling paints, or anti-fouling systems. Also, EPA added the CAS No. of triphenyl-α-naphthyltin, tripropyltin fluoride, tritolyltin bromide and tritriphenylstannyl-methane and adjusted the toxicity classification of tributyltin oxide, triphenyltin hydroxide, etc., according to the international chemical database and relevant scientific research papers.
The seminar for this revision announcement was held in October 2022, and took into account that adjustment of the toxicity classification of these organotin compounds involved regulations about transportation, detection alarm equipment, assignment of emergency responders, and license change, a phased implementation buffer period of six months to one and a half years has been granted to the relevant handlers. Additionally, because of the complete ban on asbestos in Taiwan and the registration or approval documents for purposes other than research, experimentation and education have all expired, EPA amended the relevant regulation contents of asbestos at the same time.
With respect to information related to this news release, please go to EPA’s website to download the attachment ; or go to the Executive Yuan Gazette Online to download related information.
