- Department:Hazard Control Division
The Ministry of Environment has announced a draft amendment to the "Public Notice of Ingredients Prohibited in Environmental Agents and Their Testing Methods," proposing to designate Methoxychlor as a prohibited ingredient for the manufacturing, processing, importing, exporting, selling, or using of environmental agents. A method detection limit (MDL) of 10 ng/L has been set for its presence.
This amendment is in response to the international trend of banning Methoxychlor, which is an organochlorine insecticide. Most developed nations worldwide have prohibited its use in agriculture and as a pesticide. Due to its properties of bioaccumulation and its known effects on the nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems, the United Nations Stockholm Convention has already listed Methoxychlor as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP). To protect public health and the living environment, Methoxychlor has been added as a prohibited ingredient in environmental agent in accordance with the authorization granted by Article 7 of the Environmental Agents Control Act.
The Ministry of Environment stated that a domestic survey of currently registered environmental agent products confirmed that none contain Methoxychlor as an active ingredient. Therefore, the Ministry anticipates that listing Methoxychlor as a prohibited component will have no impact on Taiwan's environmental agent industry.
Relevant materials for this draft amendment are available for download in the attachment section of the Ministry of Environment News Area (https://enews.moenv.gov.tw/), or from the Executive Yuan Gazette Online (https://gazette.nat.gov.tw/egFront/) three days after the notice's issuance. The Ministry welcomes feedback and suggested amendments from all sectors within 14 days from the day following the publication of the notice (Email: cmtsai@moenv.gov.tw).
