Japan CSCL: Technical Guidance on the Risk Assessment of PACs Made Public

On March 31^st, the Japanese National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) published a series of Technical Guidance on the Risk Assessment of Priority Assessment Chemical Substances under the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL).

The Guidance is further divided into 12 parts:

• Introduction

• Terminologies

• Chapter I Preparation for risk assessment (2014-05-28)

• Chapter II Hazard assessment of effects on human health

• Chapter III Hazard assessment of effects on the ecosystem

• Chapter IV Emission calculation

• Chapter V Exposure assessment – Exposure scenarios classified by source of emission

• Chapter VI Exposure assessment – Exposure scenarios classified by use, etc. (2014-05-19 Ver.1.1)

• Chapter VII Exposure assessment – Exposure scenarios with multiple sources of emission and persistent assessment

• Chapter VIII Exposure assessment based on environmental monitoring information (2014-05-19)

• Chapter IX Instructions on exposure assessment with regard to different properties (compiling)

• Chapter X Risk calculation·Priority order·Conclusion (2014-05-19)

* Note: the emission factors related to Chapter IV Emission Calculation can be referred in the Emission Factor Tables for Risk Assessment under the CSCL. Please click the link to view the latest version (2013-11-1).

As early as on Sep.26^th, 2011, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) issued a draft document of “Basic Ideas Concerning Risk Assessment of Priority Assessment Chemical Substances under the Chemical Substance Control Law”, after a joint session of the 3 Ministries. In accordance with METI’s 2014 work scheme, NITE was assigned with the task of assisting the compilation of the Guidance. The above mentioned documents were formulated by NITE independently with the rest of the chapters to be issued upon completion.