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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in April 2025 to analyze the proposed scheduling decisions for 6 groups of chemicals, and was updated on 7 July 2025 to introduce the finalized IChEMS scheduling decisions.
On June 25, 2025, the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Instrument 2025 administrated by the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) was issued. This legislative instrument adopts the proposed environmental management measures for six groups of chemicals under IChEMS, including DBDPE, mercury and mercury compounds. These two high-risk chemicals' import, manufacture, use, and export will be prohibited in Australia, with exceptions for specific essential uses, unintentional trace contamination, research, environmentally sound disposal, and for articles in use prior to the standards' date of entry into force. The prohibitions also apply to mixtures and articles containing them. For the other four groups of chemicals, they present low risk to the environment and have to be managed according to IChEMS Minimum Standards.
The Instrument 2025 is currenly an individual document, however, it will be incorporated into the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Instrument 2022 when the amendment work is completed.
Previous article issued on April 17, 2025:
On April 4, 2025, the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) opened a public consultation on the proposed scheduling decisions for 6 groups of chemicals with industrial use and their specific risk management measures under the IChEMS. The consultation will close on May 9, 2025.
The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) is a national approach to managing the import, use and disposal of industrial chemicals, which aims to manage environmental risks from industrial chemicals across Australia. Under IChEMS, industrial chemicals circulated in Australia will be listed on the IChEMS Register in 7 schedules based on their environmental risks. As of now, 27 groups of chemicals have been included in the IChEMS Register. Among them, 17 chemicals (e.g., Dechlorane Plus, UV-328, HCBs, PCBs, PeCB, PFOA, SCCPs, etc.) are listed in Schedule 6 or 7 and provided with prohibitions and restrictions, due to their characteristics of persistent organic pollutants. The other 10 chemicals are listed in Schedule 1, 2 or 3 as they are of low risk to the environment.
The IChEMS Register will be dynamically updated. This time, the proposed scheduling decisions target the following 6 industrial chemicals.
Target chemicals
Proposed scheduling decision
Proposed effective date
Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE)
Schedule 6
1 January 2027
Mercury and mercury compounds
Schedule 6
1 July 2026
1,2-dibromoethane
Schedule 5
1 January 2026
Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl (MMT)
Schedule 5
1 January 2026
1,2-dichloroethane
Schedule 4
1 January 2026
Aryl sulfonate hydrotropes
Schedule 2
1 January 2026
Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE)
DBDPE, identified as ‘Benzene, 1,1'-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis[2,3,4,5,6-pentabromo-’ and commonly used as a fire retardant, has been assessed by the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) and found to possess the characteristics of POPs. Currently, in Australia, DBDPE is severely restricted and is not permitted to be introduced and/or used as a chemical on its own or in mixtures such as unset/uncured resins, adhesives or sealants, or extrusion plastics. It is proposed for inclusion in IChEMS Register Schedule 6. If adopted, DBDPE normally cannot be imported, exported, manufactured, or used within Australia. However, some time-limited essential uses will be permitted with strict restrictions.
Mercury and mercury compounds
Mercury and mercury compounds are recognized as environmental pollutants and included in the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which aims to globally reduce and eliminate their production and use. This group of chemicals includes elemental mercury, mixtures of mercury (including amalgam and alloys of mercury), and any organic or inorganic substances consisting of atoms of mercury and one or more atoms of other chemical elements (1+ mercurous and 2+ mercuric compounds). Mercury and mercury compounds are proposed for inclusion in ChEMS Register Schedule 6. They will only be permitted for essential uses (where no feasible mercury free alternative is available), research or laboratory purposes, or where the chemical is present in finished goods (‘articles’) that are already in use.
1,2-dibromoethane & Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl (MMT)
1,2-dibromoethane is predominately used as a lead scavenger in leaded Avgas with minor uses as a solvent and synthetic reagent in the synthesis of fine chemicals. MMT is primarily used as a multifunctional fuel additive. These two groups of chemicals are likely to cause harm to the environment, and are therefore proposed for inclusion in IChEMS Register Schedule 5. As proposed, they (whether on their own or in mixtures), must be managed according to the IChEMS Minimum Standards.
1,2-dichloroethane & Aryl sulfonate hydrotropes
1,2-dichloroethane is mainly used as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Aryl sulfonate hydrotropes are used in high volumes in Australia as emulsifiers in various domestic, cleaning, and industrial products. They pose lower risk to the environment, thereby being proposed for inclusion in IChEMS Register Schedule 4 and Schedule 2. Target chemicals, whether on their own or in mixtures, shall comply with the baseline requirements - IChEMS Minimum Standards.
An indicative list of these 6 groups of chemicals is available here. For details about the proposed risk management measures (prohibitions and restrictions), please refer to the consultation paper for each chemical below.
