Mercury, decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and mercury compounds will not be manufactured, imported, exported, or used in Australia. Time-limited vital usage is subject to strict constraints.

The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW) published the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Instrument 2025 on June 25, 2025. The suggested environmental management measures for six classes of chemicals under IChEMS, including DBDPE, mercury, and mercury compounds, are adopted under this legislative document. Apart from some vital uses, accidental trace contamination, research, environmentally sound disposal, and goods in use before the standards’ date of entry into force, Australia will forbid the import, manufacturing, use, and export of these two high-risk compounds. Articles and combinations containing them are likewise prohibited. The IChEMS Minimum Standards must be followed for managing the remaining four categories of chemicals because they pose no environmental risk.

Currently a separate document, Instrument 2025 will be included into the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Instrument 2022 upon completion of the revision process.

A public consultation on the proposed scheduling decisions for six groups of industrially used chemicals and their particular risk management measures under the IChEMS was launched on April 4, 2025 by the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW). On May 9, 2025, the consultation will end.

A nationwide strategy for controlling the import, use, and disposal of industrial chemicals, the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) attempts to control the environmental risks associated with industrial chemicals throughout Australia. Based on their environmental concerns, industrial chemicals that are disseminated throughout Australia will be registered on the IChEMS Register in seven schedules under IChEMS. There are now 27 chemical groups listed in the IChEMS Register. Because they are persistent organic pollutants, 17 of them—including Dechlorane Plus, UV-328, HCBs, PCBs, PeCB, PFOA, SCCPs, and others—are included in Schedule 6 or 7 and are subject to limitations and prohibitions. Due to their low environmental danger, the remaining ten compounds are included in Schedules 1, 2, or 3.

The IChEMS Register will be dynamically updated. This time, the proposed scheduling decisions target the following 6 industrial chemicals.

 

Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE)

The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) evaluated DBDPE, also known as “Benzene, 1,1′-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis[2,3,4,5,6-pentabromo-,” which is frequently used as a fire retardant and has been determined to have POP properties. DBDPE is now subject to strong restrictions in Australia, where it is not allowed to be used as a chemical alone or in combination with other substances to create extrusion plastics, adhesives or sealants, or unset/uncured resins. It is suggested to be included to Schedule 6 of the IChEMS Register. DBDPE is typically prohibited from being manufactured, imported, exported, or utilized in Australia if it is adopted. However, there will be severe limitations on the time-limited necessary applications that are allowed.

Mercury and mercury compounds

The Minamata Convention on Mercury recognizes mercury and mercury compounds as environmental contaminants and calls for a worldwide reduction and abolition of their use and manufacture. Elemental mercury, amalgam and alloys of mercury, and any organic or inorganic material made up of mercury atoms plus one or more atoms of other chemical elements (1+ mercurous and 2+ mercuric compounds) are all included in this category of chemicals. It is suggested that mercury and mercury compounds be included to ChEMS Register Schedule 6. They will only be allowed for research or laboratory reasons, necessary uses (where no practical mercury-free substitute is available), or when the chemical is present in completed items (or “articles”) that are already in use.

1,2-dibromoethane & Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl (MMT)

With a few small applications as a solvent and synthetic reagent in the manufacture of fine compounds, 1,2-dibromoethane is primarily utilized as a lead scavenger in leaded Avgas. The main application for MMT is as a multipurpose gasoline additive. It is suggested that these two chemical groups be added to IChEMS Register Schedule 5 since they are expected to have negative environmental effects. As suggested, they must be handled in accordance with the IChEMS Minimum Standards, whether alone or in combination.

1,2-dichloroethane & Aryl sulfonate hydrotropes

The primary chemical feedstock for the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is 1,2-dichloroethane. In Australia, aryl sulfonate hydrotropes are widely utilized as emulsifiers in a variety of industrial, cleaning, and household applications. They are suggested for inclusion in IChEMS Register Schedules 4 and 2, as they present less environmental risk. Target chemicals must meet the IChEMS Minimum Standards, which are the baseline standards, whether they are used alone or in mixes.