On July 25, 2023, India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released an updated exemption list of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) under RoHS Rules. The change is highlighted in the E-Waste (Management) Second Amendment Rules, 2023, which came into force on the same date of their publication.
This marks the second amendment to the exemption list this year. Earlier in March, MOEFCC has added two entries to the exemption list (Schedule-II) under RoHS provisions. (See more in ChemLinked's previous coverage).
The latest version introduces an exemption list (Schedule-II A) specific to mediacal devices and monitoring and control instruments including laboratory equipment. The details of exempted applications and hazardous substances are as follows:
1. Equipment utilising or detecting ionising radiation
Lead, cadmium and mercury in detectors for ionising radiation.
Lead bearings in X-ray tubes.
Lead in electromagnetic radiation amplification devices: micro-channel plate and capillary plate.
Lead in glass frit of X-ray tubes and image intensifiers and lead in glass frit binder for assembly of gas lasers and for vacuum tubes that convert electromagnetic radiation into electrons.
Lead in shielding for ionising radiation.
Lead in X-ray test objects.
Lead stearate X-ray diffraction crystals.
Radioactive cadmium isotope source for portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers.
2. Sensors, detectors and electrodes
Lead and cadmium in ion selective electrodes including glass of pH electrodes.
Lead anodes in electrochemical oxygen sensors.
Lead, cadmium and mercury in infra-red light detectors.
Mercury in reference electrodes: low chloride mercury chloride, mercury sulphate and mercury oxide.
3. Others
Cadmium in helium-cadmium lasers.
Lead and cadmium in atomic absorption spectroscopy lamps.
Lead in alloys as a superconductor and thermal conductor in MRI.
Lead and cadmium in metallic bonds to superconducting materials in MRI and SQUID detectors.
Lead in counterweights.
Lead in single crystal piezoelectric materials for ultrasonic transducers.
Lead in solders for bonding to ultrasonic transducers.
Mercury in very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and in high frequency RF switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments not exceeding 20 mg of mercury per switch or relay.
Lead in solders in portable emergency defibrillators.
Lead in solders of high performance infrared imaging modules to detect in the range 8-14 μm.
Lead in Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) displays.
Cadmium in X-ray measurement filters.
The exemption also extends to information technology and telecommunication equipment (ITEW1~16) and consumer electrical and electronic nd photovoltaic panels (CEEW1~5), which was detailed in the newly added Schedule-II B.
Notably, the amendment added provisions for 3-year exemptions for certain applications (Schedule-II C). The following categories of EEE placed in the market on or before April 1, 2025, shall be exempted from RoHS provisions until April 1, 2028:
Information technology and telecommunication equipment (ITEW17~27)
Consumer Electrical and Electronics and Photovoltaic Panels (CEEW6~19)
Large and Small Electrical and Electronic Equipment (LSEEW1~34)
Electrical and Electronic Tools (With the exception of large- Scale Stationary Industrial Tools) (EETW1~8)
Toys, Leisure and Sports Equipment (TLSEW1~6)
Medical Devices (With the Exception of All Implanted and Infected Products) (MDW1~10)
Laboratory Instruments (LIW1~2)
Click here to see the full text of E-Waste (Management) Second Amendment Rules, 2023.
