The US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was promulgated by the US Congress in 1976 and came into effect in 1977 and is implemented by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The purpose of this act is to evaluate the environmental, economic and social impacts of chemicals circulating in the United States, and to prevent "unreasonable risks" to human health and the environment. In January 2021, the US EPA published five final rules in the federal register to regulate five persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals under TSCA.
As PIP (3:1) is widely used in electronics as flame retardants and plasticizers, and EPA did not receive any comment on the proposal on PIP (3:1) rulemaking at the beginning, as a result EPA did not have a full understanding of the impact of prohibition prior to issuing the January 2021 final rules. Therefore, to address the hardships inadvertently created by the original compliance date, EPA has decided to further extend the compliance date for PIP (3:1)-containing articles until October 31, 2024.
Below is a summary for the five PBTs restricted under TSCA:
| SUBSTANCE | CAS # | SCOPE OF UPDATE | REQUIREMENT | EFFECTIVE DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,4,6-Tris(tert-butyl) phenol (2,4,6-TTBP) | 732-26-3 | Distribution in containers with a volume of less than 35 gallons | ≤ 0.3% | January 6, 2026 |
| Processing and distribution of oil and lubricant additives | January 6, 2022 | |||
| Decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) | 1163-19-5 | Manufacturing and processing of DecaBDE or DecaBDE-containing products or articles¹,² | Prohibited | March 8, 2021 |
| Distribution of DecaBDE or DecaBDE-containing products or articles | January 6, 2022 | |||
| Phenol, isopropylated phosphate (3:1) , also known as (PIP 3:1) | 68937-41-7 | Processing and distributing PIP (3:1), including PIP (3:1)-containing products or articles¹,² | Prohibited |
October 31, 2024
|
| Pentachlorothiophenol (PCTP) | 133-49-3 | Manufacturing and processing of PCTP or PCTP-containing products or articles | Prohibited unless concentrations are ≤ 1% | March 8, 2021 |
| Distribution of PCTP or PCTP-containing products or articles | January 6, 2022 | |||
| Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) | 87-68-3 | Manufacturing, processing and distribution of HCBD or HCBD-containing products or articles¹ | Prohibited | March 8, 2021 |
Ensure your products meet the relevant regulations and protect customers from potential harm with restricted substance testing and analysis services from SGS.
Please contact our Customer Service Team for more information!
To obtain a copy in PDF, please click here.
Units 303 & 305, 3/F, Building 22E,
Phase 3, Hong Kong Science Park,
Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong, China