The Ministry of Environment yesterday said it is planning to add 357 more perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) to its list of banned toxic chemicals — which would only be allowed for research, testing and educational uses — by the end of the month.
It added it also plans to announce a ban on the use of nonylphenol and nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether as industrial detergents by the end of the month.
PFAS are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals, which have the qualities of making products resistant against water, stains and heat. These chemicals are commonly used in a wide variety of products, including food packaging, furniture and water-resistant clothing.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
However, as there are some studies suggesting that PFAS exposure could be associated with increased risk of cancer, more countries are banning their use.
There are 151 types of PFAS that are banned by the Ministry of Environment in the nation.
Head of the ministry’s Chemicals Administration’s Evaluation Management Division Lin Song-chin (林松瑾) yesterday said that perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and 147 kinds of PFHxS and its salts and related compounds are banned in Taiwan.
In accordance with the UN Stockholm Convention, the ministry plans to announce the prohibition of toxic chemical substances PFOS and PFOA, and their salts and related compounds — 357 types of PFAS — he said.
Currently, only the main substances of PFOS and PFOA are banned, so the next step is to also ban their salts and related compounds, he said.
After the 357 types of PFAS are added to the list of toxic chemical substances, the manufacturing, import, sale, and use would all be prohibited, he said.
There are seven local agencies that are using these PFAS, all for research and testing, and they could continue using them after submitting an application, he said.
The ministry also plans to limit the use of nonylphenol and nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether, which are surfactants used as detergents and emulsifiers in many industries, Lin said.
Nonylphenol is classified as an environmental hormone, known to cause disorders in the endocrine system, and has been banned in household detergents in Taiwan since 2008, he said.
In accordance with the global trend of placing tighter control on such substances, nonylphenol and nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether would be banned in industrial detergents, and the allowable concentration level would be reduced from 5 percent to 0.1 percent, he added.
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