Shanghai to Regulate Microplastics and BPA as Key New Pollutants from March 2023

On February 3, 2023, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment released a notice to make public the Shanghai’s list of new pollutants subject to priority management (hereinafter referred to as the Shanghai List), which was formulated based on the national list - List of New Pollutants for Priority Management (2023) and Shanghai's Workplan for New Pollutants Treatment. It will come into force on March 1, 2023.

Compared with the national list (includes 14 types of new pollutants), the Shanghai List adds 2 more types of new pollutants – ‘microplastics’ and ‘bisphenol A (BPA; CAS No. 80-05-7)’ with the corresponding control measures, as well as some additional local requirements for nonyl phenol and antibiotics.

Main differences

1. Stipulating additional requirements for nonyl phenol.

The discharge of nonyl phenol shall comply with limits set in DB31/ 199-2018 Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard and other discharge limit standards.

2. Stipulating additional requirements for antibiotics.

Antibiotics are subject to requirements stipulated in GB 31650-2019 National Food Safety Standard - Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs in Foods.
On the basis of conventional processes, advanced treatment technologies should be promoted in waterworks within Shanghai to effectively remove new pollutants such as antibiotics.

3. Designating microplastics as new pollutants subject to priority management in Shanghai with relevant control measures.

In accordance with Catalogue for Guiding Industry Restructuring (2019), the production and sale of disposable foamed plastic tableware, disposable plastic cotton swabs, and household chemical products made of microplastics are prohibited. The production and sale of ultra-thin plastic bags with a thickness of less than 0.025 mm and polyethylene agricultural mulch films with a thickness of less than 0.01 mm are also prohibited.

4. Designating BPA as new pollutants subject to priority management in Shanghai with the following control measures.

National requirements concerning prohibitions, processing and uses of BPA should be implemented, e.g., the sale of baby food containers containing BPA is prohibited, and thermal paper products must not contain BPA.
The discharge of BPA shall comply with relevant discharge limits stipulated in GB 31571 Emission Standard of Pollutants for Petroleum Chemistry Industry and GB 31572 Emission Standard of Pollutants for Synthetic Resin Industry.
The environmental health risk assessment of BPA and other substances possessing similar characteristics in Shanghai’s chemical industry park should be optimized, and new renovation and expansion projects of new pollutants with environmental health risks should be strictly controlled.

For the other contents in the Shanghai List, they are the same as those stipulated in the national list. It should be noted that, from January 1, 2024, many listed new pollutants will be comprehensively phased out (prohibited from manufacture, processing, use, import, or export) as their granted exemption periods expire.

Background

As per the Action Plan for New Pollutants Treatment, local authorities are encouraged to issue their own lists of new pollutants subject to priority management based on the national list and local situations. That’s to say, control policies for the same type of new pollutants in the national list may be different in different provinces or cities. In light of local situations, local authorities can designate other chemicals as new pollutants and add them to the localized lists with corresponding control policies. However, local control policies should not be less stringent than those prescribed in the national list, shared by an official from the MEE.

In addition to Shanghai, based on the local situation, technical feasibility and economic & social impact, local authorities in more provinces and cities, such as Tianjin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, etc., are expected to issue localized lists in the coming future.

Here are relevant articles prepared early by ChemLinked:

Provinces and Cities in China Release Local Workplans for New Pollutants Treatment (Updated in Feb 2023) *Latest information: Zhejiang recently issued the official document to implement local workplan for new pollutants treatment from February 13, 2023.
China Issues First National List of New Pollutants for Priority Management