Six substances removed from Japan’s PACs list

In a notice published on March 31, 2023, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and the ministries of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) and Environment (MOE) announced the removal of six substances from their priority assessment chemicals (PACs) list under the country's Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL).

The six substances that have been removed are:

• Ethylamine
• Methyl dodecanoate
• Benzoic acid benzyl ester
• Camphene
• O-dichlorobenzene
• Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22)

Priority assessment chemicals (PACs) are the substances that METI believes may be hazardous to the environment or human health. Companies must submit annual reports to METI for these substances when manufacturing or importing them in volumes of one tonne or more per year.

According to the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation’s (NITE) Chemical Risk Information Platform, there are a total of 218 substances listed under the PAC list. The six substances removed from the PACs list no longer require annual reporting as they are now classified as general chemicals.