On December 27, 2017, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) jointly issued the List of Priority Chemicals for Management (first batch) to control strictly chemicals that are hazardous, persistent, and harmful to the environment and human health. The List is based on the mandate issued by the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Water Pollution signed by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China on April 2, 2015.

The List of Priority Chemicals for Management (first batch) contains 22 groups of chemicals, which is significantly less than the draft list for internal consultation, which contained 36 groups of chemicals. These chemicals include arsenic (As), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), and cadmium (Cd) and its compounds; persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals identified according to the national standard GB/T 24782-2009 -- Identification Method of PBT Substances, and Very Persistent and Very Bioaccumulative (vPvB) Substances; carcinogenic, toxic to reproduction (CMR) chemicals and chemicals with high aquatic environmental toxicity classified according to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and the national standard GB 3000-2013 -- Rules for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals; and chemicals manufactured or used in huge quantities in China. The List includes:

The production and use of the chemicals on the List are restricted and safer alternatives of these priority chemicals are promoted. A discharge permit is required for producers and operators who directly or indirectly discharge these chemical wastes to water. A mandatory clean manufacturing audit and disclosure to the public are required for manufacturers that use or release these chemicals. These actions are existing risk control/management measures. The substances on the List were immediately added into these measures.