The island nation’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added the brominated flame retardant to its Toxic Chemicals Substance list, after initially proposing the addition in November.
According to Chemical Watch, DecaBDE, which has been found in the casings of various New Build printer cartridges in recent months, is one of three Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) listed under the Stockholm Convention that have been added by Taiwan’s EPA.
The other two are: Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), which are also used as flame retardants, as well as plasticisers, and which are now listed as a Class 1 toxic substances; and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), a solvent used in the manufacture of rubber compounds and as a hydraulic, heat transfer, or transformer fluid. All uses of HCBD have been banned except for research, education, or experimentation.
DecaBDE was previously listed in Taiwan as a Class 4 toxic substance, but following the new decision it will be listed under Classes 1 and 2.
The internationally-reaching Stockholm Convention banned SCCPs and DecaBDE in 2017, while HCBD was added to Annex C, which seeks to “reduce or eliminate unintentional releases.”
China, another ratifying signatory of the Convention, has also banned the production, sale, use, import and export of a further four POPs, including two insecticides. The ban comes into force next week.
