On November 19, 2025, the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Comprehensive Department of the National Disease Control and Administration jointly issued an announcement. In line with the Action Plan for the Control of New Pollutants (General Office of the State Council No. 15 [2022]), the departments have continued environmental risk screening and assessments of new pollutants. Based on recent progress, they have drafted the China Inventory of Priority Controlled Substances (Third Batch) (Draft for Comments) and are now seeking public input.
All institutions, organizations, enterprises, and individuals are invited to submit written feedback, with electronic copies sent to the designated email. The consultation period closes on December 2, 2025.
China Inventory of Priority Controlled Substances (Third Batch) – Draft for Comments
This batch identifies 24 chemical substances, mainly used in sectors such as petrochemicals, plastics, rubber, pharmaceuticals, textiles, dyes, coatings, pesticides, leather, and electroplating.
The screening prioritized chemicals with high hazards, including persistence, bioaccumulation, chronic aquatic toxicity (Category 1), carcinogenicity (Category 1/2), mutagenicity (Category 1/2), reproductive toxicity (Category 1/2), specific target organ toxicity (repeated exposure, Category 1), and endocrine disruption. Substances already under strict domestic and international controls were also given particular attention.
The first two batches of the Inventory included 40 substances, covering human carcinogens, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and chemicals used widely across chemical engineering, plastics, rubber, and pharmaceutical sectors.
The Inventory focuses on substances that pose significant environmental or health risks, may persist long-term, or create unreasonable ecological or human health hazards. Selection criteria include environmental behavior (e.g., persistence, bioaccumulation), hazard properties (e.g., toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, endocrine effects), and exposure scenarios (e.g., production volumes, usage patterns, public exposure frequency). High-risk substances are identified through systematic assessments and added dynamically to the Inventory.
Key Management Requirements
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Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs): EIA reports must detail the quantity, type, and use of listed chemicals. For reaction-based processes, the transformation and migration of new pollutants in primary and secondary reactions must be analyzed, with related pollutants included as assessment factors.
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Pollutant Discharge Permits: As per the technical specification, enterprises must report the designed or previous year’s production values for listed substances and their proportions in raw or auxiliary materials.
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Soil and Groundwater Protection: Facilities handling listed chemicals (e.g., production units, storage tanks, pipelines, wastewater ponds) must install corrosion, leakage prevention, and detection systems following national standards.
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Demolition Activities: Units dismantling equipment or pollution control facilities involving listed chemicals must prepare a demolition pollution prevention plan and submit it to local authorities 15 working days before starting work.
Implications for Enterprises
Companies handling the 24 listed substances must begin immediate internal assessments, strengthen chemical tracking and reporting for EIAs and permits, and upgrade environmental protection infrastructure as required. As controls tighten and the Inventory evolves, industries dependent on high-risk chemicals may face declining competitiveness. This underscores the need for increased investment in R&D, safer substitutes, and greener technologies to drive long-term sustainable development.
