Japan Strengthens Management of PFOA-related Substances

On February 1, 2024, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of Environment (MoE) jointly issued a draft on the revision of the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL) for public comments closing on March 1, 2024. This draft aims to strengthen the management of PFOA-related compounds, involving their manufacturing, import, and usage.

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Revisions

The following substances are designated as Class I specified chemical substances. From the winter of 2024, manufacturing and importing these chemicals will require a permit. In principle, their manufacturing and importing will be prohibited.

Chemical substance	CAS No.	Numbers in the official gazette
Perfluoroalkyl acids (limited to those with a branched structure and a carbon chain of 8) or their salts	90480-55-0 15166-06-0 90480-56-1 1882109-81-0 1882109-80-9 etc.	2-1176 2-1195 2-2659
Perfluorooctanoic acid-related substances
1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8-Heptadecafluoro-8-iodooctane (also known as Perfluorooctyl iodide)	507-63-1	2-90
3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-Heptadecafluorodecane-1-ol (also known as 8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol)	678-39-7	2-2402
A compound containing a perfluoroalkyl group directly bonded to a carbon atom (limited to those with a carbon number of 7), which, through natural processes, produces perfluorooctanoic acid or perfluoroalkane acid (branched in structure and limited to those with a carbon number of 8)	376-27-2 3108-24-5 33496-48-9 1996-88-9 27905-45-9 etc.	2-3483 2-3502 etc.

The import of products containing PFOA isomers, their salts, and PFOA-related compounds will be prohibited.

Chemical Substance	Products Prohibited from Import
Perfluoroalkyl acids (limited to those with a branched structure and a carbon chain of 8) or their salts	Floor wax Water- and oil-repellent fabrics Water- and oil-repellent clothing Water- and oil-repellent carpets Filler for adhesives and sealants Coating agents Paints and varnishes Toner Cleaning agents Commercial photographic films Processed paper with water and oil resistance Anti-reflective agents used in semiconductor manufacturing Fire extinguishers, fire extinguishing agents for fire extinguishers, and foam extinguishing agents
Perfluorooctanoic acid-related substances (Perfluorooctyl iodide, Fluorotelomer alcohol, a compound containing a perfluoroalkyl group directly bonded to a carbon atom (limited to those with a carbon number of 7), which, through natural processes, produces perfluorooctanoic acid or perfluoroalkane acid (branched in structure and limited to those with a carbon number of 8))	Floor wax Protective and stain-resistant agents for textile products Water- and oil-repellent agents Textile products treated with water-repellent and oil-repellent coatings Defoaming agents Coating agents Optical fibers or their surface coating agents Fire extinguishers, fire extinguishing agents for fire extinguishers, and foam extinguishing agents

The use of PFOA isomers, their salts, and PFOA-related compounds will be prohibited, except for approved uses.

Chemical substance	Permitted uses
1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8-Heptadecafluoro-8-iodooctane (also known as Perfluorooctyl iodide)	The use of perfluorooctyl iodide (PFOI) for the production of perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB) for pharmaceutical manufacturing purposes.
3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-Heptadecafluorodecane-1-ol (also known as 8:2 Fluorotelomer alcohol)	The use of 8:2 perfluorotetramer alcohol (8:2FTOH) for the production of perfluorooctyl ethyl oxypropyl methacrylate (PFMA) for the manufacturing of invasive and implantable medical devices.

Fire extinguishers, fire extinguishing agents, and foam fire extinguishing agents containing PFOA substances shall comply with the specified technical standards to ensure their safety.

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.

Further Information

Global Regulatory Dynamics of PFHxS

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