South Korean issues legislative notice of proposed amendments to add acrylamide to restricted substance list 
On September 1, 2021, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea issued a legislative notice of a partial amendment to the Designation of Restricted Substances and Prohibited Substances (MOE Notification No. 2019- 214), and invited public comments with the deadline of September 23, 2021. Based on results of chemical risk assessment performed in accordance with Article 24 of the Act on Registration, Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals, the proposed amendment would newly designate acrylamide as a restricted substance. Acrylamide is known to be highly hazardous when handled for specific purposes. In addition, to reduce the amounts of heavy metals contained in paints, the proposed amendment would expand the application scope of existing restrictions on lead and hexavalent chromium compounds to all paints. By reducing the allowable lead content in paints, the proposed amendment aims to reduce the risks imposed to human health and the environment.
The key contents of the proposed amendment are as follows.
- The content standards for the restricted substance 06-5-8 (lead and mixtures containing 0.06% or more thereof) would be strengthened (from 0.06% to 0.009%). The target products would also be expanded from “paints for wooden toys for children under 13 years” to “all paints”.
- The existing restriction on the restricted substance 06-5-10 (hexavalent chromium compounds and mixtures containing 0.1% or more thereof) for architectural applications would be applied to all paints.
- Acrylamide and mixtures containing 0.1% or more thereof would be newly designated as a restricted substance so that it cannot be handled for grouting purposes.
Appended table 2: Restricted substances (regarding Article 3 Paragraph 1) (proposed amendment)
(Amendments and additions are underlined.)
| Unique number | Name of chemical substance | Restriction |
| 06-5-8 | Lead [7439-92-1] and mixture containing more than 0.009% thereof | 1. Manufacturing, import, sale, storage, transport, and use are prohibited for any of the following applications:
・Metal accessories ・Paint |
| 06-5-10 | Chromium (6+) compounds [18540-29-9] and mixtures containing 0.1% or more thereof | 1. Manufacturing, import, sale, storage, transport, and use are prohibited for any of the following applications:
・Anti-rust paint for water tanks ・Paint |
| 06-5-14 | Acrylamide [Acrylamide;79-06-1] and mixtures containing 0.1% or more thereof | Manufacturing, import, sale, storage, transport, and use are prohibited for grouting applications. |
Appended table 3: List of specific restricted substances that are designated with their general names (regarding Article 3 Paragraph 2) (proposed amendment)
(Current No. 22 and 23 would be amended to No. 50 and 51 whereas No. 22 through to 49 would be newly added.)
| Unique number | Name of Substance | CAS No. | |
| 06-5-10 | 22 | Lead chromate molybdate sulfate red | 12656-85-8 |
| 23 | C.I. Pigment Yellow 36 | 37300-23-5 | |
| 24 | Chromic acid (H2CrO4) bis(triphenylsilyl) ester;
Bis(triphenylsilyl) chromate |
1624-02-8 | |
| 25 | Chromic acid (H2Cr2O7) compd. with pyridine (1:2) | 20039-37-6 | |
| 26 | Chromic acid | 7738-94-5 | |
| 27 | Chromic acid (H2CrO4), cobalt(2+) salt (1:1) | 13455-25-9 | |
| 28 | Chromium(6+) compounds | 18540-29-9 | |
| 29 | Dicesium chromate | 13454-78-9 | |
| 30 | Dichromic acid sodium salt | 34493-01-1 | |
| 31 | Diiron tris(chromate) | 10294-52-7 | |
| 32 | Dipotassium heptadecaoxotetrazincate tetrachromate(2-) | 12433-50-0 | |
| 33 | Dirubidium dichromate | 13446-73-6 | |
| 34 | Dithallium chromate | 13473-75-1 | |
| 35 | Dithallium dichromate | 13453-35-5 | |
| 36 | Lead chromate | 11119-70-3 | |
| 37 | Lead chromate oxide (Pb2(CrO4)O) | 18454-12-1 | |
| 38 | Lithium chromate dihydrate | 7789-01-7 | |
| 39 | Mercury dichromate | 7789-10-8 | |
| 40 | Nickel chromate | 14721-18-7 | |
| 41 | Nickel dichromate | 15586-38-6 | |
| 42 | Lead sulfochromate yellow | 1344-37-2 | |
| 43 | Potassium hydroxyoctaoxodizincatedichromate(1-) | 11103-86-9 | |
| 44 | Chromic acid, potassium zinc salt; Potassium zinc
chromate |
41189-36-0 | |
| 45 | Silver chromate | 7784-01-2 | |
| 46 | Silver dichromate | 7784-02-3 | |
| 47 | Sodium chromate tetrahydrate | 10034-82-9 | |
| 48 | Chromic acid (H2Cr2O7), sodium salt, hydrate (1:2:2) | 7789-12-0 | |
| 49 | Pentazinc chromate octahydroxide | 49663-84-5 | |
| 50 | The same as No. 22 currently | – | |
| 51 | Mixtures containing 0.1% or more of any of the substances listed in No. 1 through to 50 above | ||
The press release by MOE and the proposed amendment can be viewed at: (In Korean)
https://www.epeople.go.kr/cmmn/idea/redirect.do?ideaRegNo=1AE-2108-0002276
[Reference]
Designation of Restricted Substances and Prohibited Substances (MOE Notification No. 2019-214)
https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/admRulLsInfoP.do?admRulSeq=2100000183850
