- Department:Evaluation Management Division
Aligning with International Standards by Adding Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to the List, Strengthening Management of Nonylphenol and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, and Including Cybutryne in Compliance with the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships
The Ministry of Environment has announced amendments to the "Categories and Management of Handling for Toxic Chemical Substances" and "Categories and Management of Handling for Concerned Chemical Substances," adding perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its salts and related compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts and related compounds, nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether (NPEO), and cybutryne to the list of toxic and concerned chemical substances, with corresponding regulatory measures established to protect environmental and human health.
The Ministry of Environment notes that PFOS and PFOA are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFAS) that are persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative, and may affect ecosystems and human health through the food chain. The UN Stockholm Convention has already included PFOA and its salts and related compounds in Annex A for elimination, and PFOS and its salts and related compounds in Annex B for restriction. The Ministry has referenced the convention to add 5 PFOS salts and related compounds and 352 types of PFOA salts and related compounds, restricting their permitted uses in accordance with the convention.
NP and NPEO have clear endocrine-disrupting properties, capable of mimicking natural hormones in the body and thus affecting human physiological health and normal development in children. The Ministry of Environment designated them as toxic chemical substances in 2007 and prohibited their use in manufacturing household cleaners.
The Ministry of Environment continues to monitor both domestic and international regulatory developments for NP and NPEO. Considering their clear endocrine-disrupting properties that pose definite harm to human health and adverse effects on aquatic organisms and ecological environments, and referencing EU regulations, the Ministry is strengthening NP and NPEO controls by lowering the regulatory concentration to 0.1% and restricting their use in manufacturing cleaners and other environmentally hazardous applications. In coordination with the "Waste Disposal Act," the import of cleaners containing NP and NPEO is also restricted, aiming to comprehensively block such products and safeguard the domestic environment and public health.
Due to its bioconcentration potential and well-documented toxicological characteristics, cybutryne has been designated as a concerned chemical substances in accordance with international prohibition standards. Full concentration controls are applied, and its use in the manufacture of antifouling paints, systems, and biocides is explicitly prohibited.
The Ministry of Environment emphasizes that to provide businesses sufficient time to adapt, existing operators will be granted transition periods of one and a half to two years, and businesses are encouraged to seek alternative substances to reduce impacts on the domestic environment and public health. Related materials from this announcement can be accessed through the Ministry of Environment's news section or downloaded from the Executive Yuan Gazette website the following day.
