Prioritizing chemicals for environmental management in China based on screening of potential risks

• Published in: Frontiers of earth science Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 104 - 114
• Main Authors: Yu, Xiangyi, Mao, Yan, Sun, Jinye, Shen, Yingwa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2014; Higher Education Press; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acute toxicity; Bioaccumulation; Carcinogenicity; Chemical industry; Chemicals; developmental toxicity; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; environmental exposure; Environmental hazards; Environmental management; Environmental risk; Health hazards; Literature reviews; Mutagenicity; priority definition; Research Article; risk; Risk assessment; screening; 中国境内; 化学品管理; 化工行业; 危害指数; 安全管理; 潜在风险; 环境管理; 筛查; China; China, People's Rep; priority definition; screening; risk; chemicals; environmental management
• ISSN: 2095-0195; 2095-0209
• DOI: 10.1007/s11707-013-0387-6

The rapid development of China’s chemical industry has created increasing pressure to improve the environmental management of chemicals. To bridge the large gap between the use and safe management of chemicals, we performed a comprehensive review of the international methods used to prioritize chemicals for environmental management. By comparing domestic and foreign methods, we confirmed the presence of this gap and identified potential solutions. Based on our literature review, we developed an appropriate screening method that accounts for the unique characteristics of chemical use within China. The proposed method is based on an evaluation using nine indices of the potential hazard posed by a chemical: three environmental hazard indices (persistence, bioaccumulation, and eco-toxicity), four health hazard indices (acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity), and two environmental exposure hazard indices (chemical amount and utilization pattern). The results of our screening agree with results of previous efforts from around the world, confirming the validity of the new system. The classification method will help decisionmakers to prioritize and identify the chemicals with the highest environmental risk, thereby providing a basis for improving chemical management in China.