Vietnam releases draft technical regulation on products containing POPs 
On November, 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam published the draft National Technical Regulation (QCVN) on Allowable Limits of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Raw Materials, Fuels, Materials, Products, Goods, and Equipment (hereinafter referred to as the Draft) on the official website and started to solicit opinions. The Draft is scheduled to be applied from January 1, 2023, to businesses that import, manufacture, trade, or use raw materials, fuels, materials, products, goods, and equipment containing POPs in Vietnam.
Table 1 of the Draft specifies the list of raw materials, materials, products, goods, and equipment that contain POPs (e.g., foam extinguishing agents and food packaging materials for PFOA) and the allowable limits of POPs. It is expected that an application to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will be required to handle listed raw materials, materials, products, goods, and equipment.
The main contents of Table 1 of the Draft are as follows
| No. | Regulated POPs | CAS RN | Fields of application | Allowable limits |
| 1 | Tetrabromodiphenyl ether, pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE) (*) | Industry | ||
| Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (C12H6Br4O) | 40088-47-9 | 10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight) | ||
| Pentabromodiphenyl ether (C12H5Br5O) | 32534-81-9 | 10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight) | ||
| 2 | Hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether (HBDE) (*) | Industry | ||
| Hexabromodiphenyl ether (C12H4Br6O) | 36483-60-0; 446255-03-4 |
10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight) | ||
| Heptabromodiphenyl ether (C12H3Br7O) | 68928-80-3; 446255-20-5 |
10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight) | ||
| 3 | Decabromodiphenyl ether (DBDE) (*) | 1163-19-5 | Industry | 10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight) |
| 4 | Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluorid (PFOSF) (C8F17SO2X) | 1763-23-1; 2795-39-3; 29457-72-5; 29081-56-9; 70225-14-8; 56773-42-3; 251099-16-8; 4151-50-2; 31506-32-8; 1691-99-2; 24448-09-7; 307-35-7; and others |
Industry, agriculture, medical | PFOS: 10 mg/kg (0.001% by weight)
PFOS in half-finished products, raw materials, materials, and components: 0.1% by weight Textile products and coating materials: < 1μg/m2 |
| 5 | Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | 25637-99-4; 3194-55-6; 134237-50-6; 134237-51-7; 134237-52-8 |
Industry | 100 mg/kg (0.01% by weight) |
| 6 | Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) | 85535-84-8; 68920-70-7; 71011-12-6; 85536-22-7; 85681-73-8; 108171-26-2; and others |
Industry | SCCP: ≤ 1% by weight
SCCP in raw materials and materials: 0.15% by weight |
| 7 | Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds | 335-67-1 | Industry | PFOA: 1 mg/kg (0.0001% by weight)
PFOA used as additive (used in the production process of fluorinated compounds with carbon chain of 6 atoms or less): 20 mg/kg (0.002% by weight) |
(*) In case more than one of Hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether (HBDE); tetrabromodiphenyl ether, pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE); or decabromodiphenyl ether (DBDE) is contained, the total content must not exceed 500 mg/kg.
This draft is one of the implementing regulations of Law on Environmental Protection (72/2020/QH14). See more details about the law here.
NOTE:
EnviX can provide any consulting service about Vietnamese chemical regulations, including POPs control. Please feel free to contact us.
Contact Form
