Australia Proposes IChEMS Standards for 14 Chemical Groups Including PFHpS 
The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW) initiated a public consultation on March 23, 2026, regarding a proposal to add six chemical groups to the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS). The deadline for public comments is April 24 2026. This proposal and consultation process are conducted by the Minister under Sections 11 and 17 of the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Act 2021.
The proposal includes adding PFHpS, PFNS/PFDS and 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenol (TTBP) to Schedule 7 of the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Instrument 2022.
If these chemicals are added to Schedule 7, their manufacture, use, import, and export within Australia will be prohibited according to the conditions outlined in Column 3 of the schedule.
List of Proposed Chemical Groups and Schedules
| Substance name | CAS RN | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) and related substances | n/a | 7—Relevant industrial chemicals that are likely to cause serious or irreversible harm to the environment with no essential uses |
| Perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS), perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS) and related substances | n/a | |
| 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenol (TBBP) | 732-26-3 (27801-58-7; TTBP sodium salt) |
|
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and related substances | n/a | 5—Relevant industrial chemicals that are likely to cause harm to the environment |
| Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS) and related substances | n/a | |
| 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonamides | 34455-29-3 and others | |
| Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) | 128-37-0 | |
| Butylated hydroxyanisole and related antioxidants | 25013-16-5 and others | |
| Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) | 79-94-7 | |
| Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and related substances | n/a | 4—Relevant industrial chemicals that may cause harm to the environment |
| Limonene | 5989-27-5 and others | |
| Fatty acids | 84753-04-8 and others | 3—Relevant industrial chemicals that have the potential to cause harm to the environment |
| Glycerides | 68990-07-8 and others | 2—Relevant industrial chemicals that are unlikely to cause harm to the environment |
Below is an excerpt from the proposed conditions for PFHpS, PFNS/PFDS and TTBP under Column 3 (Risk management measures including prohibitions and restrictions).
PFHpS
| Risk management measures including prohibitions and restrictions |
|---|
| (a) This entry comes into effect on 1 January 2027 |
| (b) The manufacture of the class of chemicals is prohibited except:
(i) in circumstances where the class of chemicals is present as unintentional trace contamination at: (A) a level equal to or below 0.025 mg/kg for PFHpS and its salts; or (B) a level equal to or below 1 mg/kg for any individual PFHpS-related compound or a combination of those compounds; or (ii) for research or laboratory purposes. |
| (c) The import and export of the class of chemicals (whether on their own or in mixtures or in articles) are prohibited except:
(i) in circumstances where the class of chemicals is present as unintentional trace contamination at: (A) a level equal to or below 0.025 mg/kg for PFHpS and its salts; or (B) a level equal to or below 1 mg/kg for any individual PFHpS-related compound or a combination of those compounds; or (ii) for research or laboratory purposes; or (iii) if a hazardous waste permit authorises the import or export of the class of chemicals or a mixture or article containing the class of chemicals. |
| (d) The use of the class of chemicals (whether on their own or in mixtures or in articles) is prohibited except:
(i) in circumstances where the class of chemicals is present as unintentional trace contamination at: (A) a level equal to or below 0.025 mg/kg for PFHpS and its salts; or (B) a level equal to or below 1 mg/kg for any individual PFHpS-related compound or a combination of those compounds; or (ii) for research or laboratory purposes; or (iii) for the purposes of environmentally sound disposal; or (iv) in circumstances in which the article is already in use on or before 1 January 2027. |
PFNS/PFDS
The conditions are the same as for PFHpS (details omitted).
TTBP
| Risk management measures including prohibitions and restrictions |
|---|
| (a) This entry comes into effect on 1 July 2027. |
| (b) The manufacture of the chemical is prohibited except:
(i) in circumstances where the chemical is present as unintentional trace contamination at a level equal to or below 100 mg/kg; or (ii) research and laboratory purposes. |
| (c) The import and export of the chemical (whether on its own or in mixtures) are prohibited except:
(i) in circumstances where the chemical is present as unintentional trace contamination at a level equal to or below 100 mg/kg by weight; or (ii) for research or laboratory purposes; or (ii) in circumstances where the chemical is intentionally present in hydrocarbon fuels such as petrol, diesel fuel and jet fuel at a level equal to or below 50 mg/kg; or (iii) for research or laboratory purposes; or (iv) if a hazardous waste permit authorises the import or export of the chemical or a mixture containing the chemical. |
| (d) The use of the chemical (whether on its own or in mixtures) is prohibited except:
(i) in circumstances where the chemical is present as unintentional trace contamination at a level equal to or below 100 mg/kg; or (ii) for research or laboratory purposes; or (ii) in circumstances where the chemical is intentionally present in hydrocarbon fuels such as petrol, diesel fuel and jet fuel at a level equal to or below 50 mg/kg; or (iv) in circumstances in which the article is already in use on or before 1 January 2027. (iii) for research or laboratory purposes; or (iv) in circumstances in which the chemical or mixture is already in use on or before 1 July 2027. |
In addition, no risk‑management measures—such as prohibitions or restrictions on the manufacture, use, or import and export within Australia—are proposed for the remaining 11 substances.
Alongside the proposed addition of the fourteen substances to the relevant schedules, a revision is also proposed for “UV‑328 (CAS No. 25973‑55‑1),” which is already listed in IChEMS “Schedule 6: Industrial chemicals with essential uses that are likely to cause significant or irreversible environmental harm.” The revision reflects the addition of new content to “Column 3: Risk‑management measures, including prohibitions and restrictions.”
The proposed revisions concerning UV‑328 are shown below (amended text in bold).
UV-328
| Risk management measures including prohibitions and restrictions |
|---|
| (b) The chemical has the following essential uses in Australia:
… … |
Furthermore, on 23 March 2026, Australia submitted a WTO/TBT notification (G/TBT/N/AUS/197) regarding its proposal to add three chemical classes (PFHpS, PFNS/PFDS, and TTBP) to IChEMS Schedule 7. The comment period closes on 24 April 2026. According to the notification, Australia intends to adopt the proposal on 30 June 2026.
Related URL
- Public Comments on IChEMS Proposed Standards
https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/ichems-s17-proposed-decisions - Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS) and related substances – PROPOSED SCHEDULING DECISION
https://storage.googleapis.com/files-au-climate/climate-au/p/prj24edc1c28ff933a268e8f/page/Proposed_scheduling_decision_PFHpS_and_related_substances.pdf - Perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS), perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS) and related substances – PROPOSED SCHEDULING DECISION
https://storage.googleapis.com/files-au-climate/climate-au/p/prj24edc1c28ff933a268e8f/page/Proposed_scheduling_decision_PFNS_PFDS_and_related_substances.pdf - 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenol – PROPOSED SCHEDULING DECISION
https://storage.googleapis.com/files-au-climate/climate-au/p/prj24edc1c28ff933a268e8f/page/Proposed_scheduling_decision_TTBP.pdf - WTO/TBT notification (G/TBT/N/AUS/197)
https://eping.wto.org/en/Search/Index?&viewData=G%2FTBT%2FN%2FAUS%2F197
