Japan Identifies 18 Chemicals for Closer Look after Priority Risk Assessments

After an extensive review of 86 chemicals, including detailed environmental and human health risk assessments, the Japanese government has identified 18 chemicals for closer review. The Tier I assessments resulted in five chemicals classified as substances that would be further monitored for production or import volume, mainly because they were considered likely to have fairly low levels. But 18 chemicals were deemed to be of significant enough potential risk to necessitate the Tier 2 assessments. Tier 2 assessments include requirements for manufacturers and importers to provide both health and safety hazard data and exposure information.

Eleven chemicals were identified based on their presumed risk to human health:

• hydrazine
• 1,3-butadiene
• dichloromethane
• 1,2-dichloropropane
• chloroethylene
• ethylene oxide
• 1,2-epoxypropane
• formaldehyde
• acrylonitrile
• toluidine

Seven chemicals were identified based on their presumed risk to the environment:

• 1,3-dichloropropene
• n-butyl acrylate
• isopropenylbenzene
• dichlorobenzene
• 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol
• [3-(2-ethylhexyloxy)propylamine]triphenylboron
• 4,4'-(propane-2,2-diyl)bis(phenol)

The Japanese government will perform the assessments in accordance with Japan's Chemical Substance Control regulation.

Japan Allows 1-week to Register New Chemicals - Don't Miss It

Japan has announced that it will accept applications for manufacture or import of new chemicals meeting their small quantity criteria, but these applications must be filed during a single one-week period from February 28th to March 7th, 2012.  This is in accordance with Japan's Chemical Substance Examination and Manufacturing Control law.  For readers of Japanese, more information is available on the Environmental agency website.

 

The announcement was made by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare; and the Ministry of the Environment. The application requirement applies to annual quantities of 1 to 10 metric tonnes and for only chemicals that are new to Japan (existing chemicals in Japan are not included in the requirement).  

 

This annual event has been occurring for the last 8 years, with the number of applications growing from only about 100 in 2004 up to over 1000 by 2010.

How to help the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan

The Associated Press lists some ways to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  Please do all you can.

— AMERICAN RED CROSS — U.S. mobile phone users can text REDCROSS to 90999 to add $10 automatically to your phone bill. Or visit http://www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

— INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS — Sending relief teams and supplies to the area. Call 1-800-481-4462, or visit http://internationalmedicalcorps.org .

— SAVE THE CHILDREN — The relief effort providing food, medical care and education to children is accepting donations through mobile phones by texting JAPAN to 20222 to donate $10. People can also call 1-800-728-3843 during business hours or visit www.savethechildren.org/japanquake to donate online.

— GLOBAL GIVING — The non-profit which works through grassroots efforts says Americans can text JAPAN to 50555 to give $10 through their phone bill. Or visit http://www.globalgiving.org/ .

— INTERACTION — The group is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations and lists many ways to help on its site, http://www.interaction.org .

— NETWORK FOR GOOD — The aggregator of charities has a list of programs and ways to donate to relief efforts. Visit http://www.networkforgood.org.

Japan Chemical Association Highlights Japanese Business Trends

The Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) has released a powerpoint presentation highlighting business trends in the chemical industry.  After posting significant decreases in production and shipment from early 2008 through early 2009, both started recovering by the end of the first quarter 2009 and have now reached levels consistent with inventories.

A series of powerpoints can be downloaded here.

The JCIA has about 180 member companies and about 80 organizations engaged in the manufacturing and handling of chemical products and related services. "Under the basic idea of "coexistence and co-prosperity with society," JCIA has continued to undertake activities for almost half a century to fulfill its mission of promoting the stable development of the chemical industry and thus contributing to the economic prosperity of Japan and elevation of its living standards."

Japan Amends Chemical Control Law

I've documented efforts by Europe, the US, and Canada to change their chemical control laws and/or review their Inventory chemicals. Well, now Japan is getting in on the act. As it has elsewhere, public interest in ensuring the safety of chemical substances has been on the rise in Japan. At the global level, agreements such as the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) have pushed to minimize adverse effects of chemicals on human health and the environment by 2020. Other regional and international efforts have also put pressure on individual countries to enact changes to their long standing chemical control laws.

So at the end of February 2009, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment issued an announcement that a bill to amend the had been submitted to the 171st ordinary session of the Diet. This bill is aimed at introducing a comprehensive control system to minimize the adverse effects of chemical substances on human health and the environment and at ensuring the international consistency of Japanese regulations on chemicals.

The main changes include:

• Companies that have manufactured or imported any chemical substance, including an existing one, in excess of the specified amounts are newly obliged to notify applications containing quantity and other information to the government.

• Upon receipt of those applications, the government screens and prioritizes substances subject to detailed risk assessment. For these substances, the manufacturers/importers may be required to submit information on hazardous properties for government evaluation.

• Based on the evaluation, the government decides whether to regulate the manufacture/used of the substance and its product, etc.

The Japanese amendments reflect changes recently made in Canada (Chemical Management Plan), Europe (REACH), and potentially the United States, which began hearings last week aimed at reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act.