Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration jointly issued the "List of Priority Controlled Chemicals (Third Batch)" (hereinafter referred to as the "List"). Regarding the formulation of the "List," relevant officials from the Solid Waste and Chemicals Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment answered questions from reporters.

Question: What is the background for the issuance of the "List"?
Answer: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China attaches great importance to the management of new pollutants. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China explicitly called for the management of new pollutants. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China included the establishment of a coordinated management and environmental risk control system for new pollutants as an important task in deepening the reform of the ecological civilization system. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China further proposed to advance the management of new pollutants. The recent Central Economic Work Conference included strengthening the management of new pollutants as a key annual task to promote comprehensive green transformation. The "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China" set the goal of effectively controlling the environmental risks of new pollutants by 2035.

Dynamically formulating the List of Priority Controlled Chemicals and promoting the implementation of environmental risk control are specific actions to advance the implementation of the "Action Plan for the Management of New Pollutants" (State Council Document No. 15, 2022). They are important measures to implement the Central Committee's requirements for deepening the management of new pollutants, fulfill the relevant work arrangements for comprehensively promoting the construction of a Beautiful China, protect ecological and environmental security and public health, and support high-quality development through high-level ecological and environmental protection.

Question: What is the process for compiling the "List"?
Answer: The "List" focuses on screening chemical substances that should be prioritized for environmental risk control to achieve two main objectives: First, to serve as an "engine" to provide foundational support for the environmental risk management of toxic and harmful pollutants in water, air, and soil, as well as key controlled new pollutants. Second, to promote public awareness and understanding of the environmental and health hazards of the chemicals produced and used, and to enhance the awareness and level of environmental risk management of chemical substances.

The compilation of the "List" combines China's national conditions and international experience, taking into account various factors such as the inherent environmental and health hazards of chemical substances, potential environmental exposure levels, and international control measures. This round of screening and assessment focused on high-hazard chemical substances, including those with persistence, bioaccumulation, chronic aquatic toxicity category 1, carcinogenicity category 1 or 2, mutagenicity category 1 or 2, reproductive toxicity category 1 or 2, specific target organ toxicity—repeated exposure category 1, and endocrine disruption. Special attention was given to chemical substances that are already subject to strict control under domestic industrial and import-export policies and international environmental conventions.

At the same time, based on the national statistical survey of environmental information on chemical substances, environmental monitoring, and literature research, the potential environmental exposure of chemical substances in different scenarios throughout their life cycle was analyzed, and exposure potential was assessed. By comprehensively considering the hazards and environmental exposure of chemical substances, new pollutants with high environmental risks were identified.

The compilation of the "List" adhered to the principle of "openness," soliciting public opinions, organizing multiple expert seminars and industry consultation meetings in various forms, and extensively listening to and fully incorporating opinions and suggestions from relevant departments, industries, enterprises, and various fields.

Question: Which chemical substances are included in the "List"?
Answer: The "List" includes 23 categories of chemical substances, including carcinogens such as 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate, endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and persistent organic pollutants such as long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids and their salts and related compounds, which belong to the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) category. These substances are involved in industries or fields such as petrochemicals, plastics, rubber, pharmaceuticals, textiles, dyes, coatings, pesticides, leather, and electroplating.

Among them, certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are of high public concern but have not yet been included in the "Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China" were not included in the "List," such as perfluoropolyether sulfonate (F-53B) and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS). Their production, use, and import should comply with the "Measures for Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances."

Question: What are the management requirements for chemical substances included in the "List"?
Answer: The issuance of the "List" provides a "transition period," "preparation period," and "warning period" for enterprises producing and using related chemical substances to prepare in advance, consciously strengthen environmental risk management of chemical substances, and improve the level of environmental risk control.

Relevant enterprises should fully recognize the potential environmental and health risks of the chemical substances listed in the "List," actively take measures such as upgrading and transforming processes, strengthening the treatment of "three wastes" (wastewater, waste gas, and solid waste), enhancing environmental emission control, and actively researching, developing, and promoting environmentally friendly alternatives to minimize the environmental risks of related chemical substances.

Currently, the management of chemical substances in the List of Priority Controlled Chemicals is mainly based on relevant requirements such as the "Opinions on Strengthening Environmental Impact Assessment of Construction Projects Involving New Pollutants in Key Industries," the "General Technical Specifications for the Application and Issuance of Pollutant Discharge Permits," and the "Measures for Soil Environmental Management of Industrial and Mining Land (Trial)." These include conducting environmental impact assessments for construction projects, implementing pollutant discharge permit management, and implementing soil and groundwater pollution prevention and control measures.