The country’s first regulatory standards for perfluorinated compounds in chemical parks have been officially implemented

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Recently, the \"Emission Standards for Water Pollutants in Chemical Industrial Parks in Sichuan Province\" (DB51 3202—2024), jointly issued by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment and the Provincial Market Regulation Bureau (hereinafter referred to as the \"Standards\"), have been officially implemented. It is understood that this is the first local standard in the country to set emission limits for perfluorinated compounds in chemical industrial parks, covering two key types of newly emerging pollutants under strict control: perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are known as “permanent chemicals,” encompassing more than 10,000 different substances. Due to their persistence in the natural environment, ability to migrate over long distances, bioaccumulation potential, toxicity, and the capacity to accumulate through the food chain, PFAS pose a potential threat to the environment and human health. Two persistent organic pollutants in PFAS – PFOS and PFOA – have been shown by international research to pose a potential carcinogenic risk. Globally, it was added to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants for regulation in 2009 and 2019 respectively. Scope of application: This applies to the management of indirect discharges of water pollutants from industrial enterprises in chemical industrial parks within Sichuan Province, as well as the direct discharge of water pollutants from centralized wastewater treatment plants in such parks. It also covers environmental impact assessments for construction projects, design of environmental protection facilities, acceptance inspections of completed environmental protection facilities, issuance of pollution discharge permits, and the management of water pollutant discharges following the commissioning of these facilities.