In order to comply with the international obligations of member States of the Stockholm Convention and Minamata Convention, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) has launched a 4-week public consultation from February 18, 2024, on 2 groups of chemicals and 9 mercury-added products. The substances are scheduled to be regulated as Hazardous Substances (HS) under the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA). In Singapore, the valid HS Permit is required for any individual or entity that purchases, stores and/or uses such substances.
Substances and products to be regulated:
2 Groups of Chemicals
- Medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs): Chlorinated paraffins with carbon chain lengths in the range C14–17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45 per cent chlorine by weight.
- Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs) with carbon lengths of 9 to 21, their salts and related compounds.
These two chemical groups are commonly used in industry, but the International Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) has identified them as a long lasting harmful effect on the environment due to their high toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation.
The NEA suggests taking precautionary measures because POPRC may recommend including them in Appendix A of the Stockholm Convention for elimination (Appendix A is the list of substances to be eliminated) at the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP) in 2025.Enhanced regulatory measures are set to be instituted governing the importation, exportation, fabrication, distribution, conveyance, acquisition, preservation, or application of these two categories of chemicals. Consequently, prior to the official inclusion of these substances in Annex A, entities are mandated to secure the valid HS Permit from the NEA to sustain their manufacturing or import/export operations.
9 Mercury-Added Products
In response to the requirements of the Minamata Convention, the NEA also plans to prohibit the manufacture and import/export of nine mercury-added products, due to their potential to release mercury and pose significant risks to the environment and public health. These products, which include certain types of fluorescent lamps, electronic measuring devices, and mercury vacuum pumps, will be banned in Singapore starting from January 1, 2025.
- Compact fluorescent lamps with an integrated ballast (CFL.i) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner
- Cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps of all lengths for electronic displays
- Strain gauges to be used in plethysmographs
- The following electrical and electronic measuring devices except those installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury free alternative is available:
- Melt pressure transducers, melt pressure transmitters and melt pressure sensors
- Mercury vacuum pumps
- Tyre balancers and wheel weights
- Photographic film and paper
- Propellant for satellites and spacecraft
- Very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge switch or relay
NEA intends to officially issue these changes within June 2024, allowing a six-month transition period to ensure that the relevant industries can adapt to the new regulations. Therefore, it is necessary for enterprises to examine the ingredients of products for product compliance. Enterprises can seek safety alternative materials to facilitate commercial activities.
Further Information
