8.1 Availability of Data for National Chemicals Management

In China, the management of the chemical life cycle from production, transport, storage, distribution and use to disposal involves many departments and requires various types of data. Such data include statistical data, research data, data from production enterprises and international data. These constitute the fundamental information for chemicals management. At present, the data available in China cannot meet the need for managing chemicals. Some data, for instance, data concerning chemical impact assessment, risk assessment (environment/health), risk reduction decisions, and accident preparedness/response, should be collected, sorted out and analyzed by special organizations with special personnel and the support of sufficient funds and advanced technology. Some data are products of long-term studies and research with large financial input. Table 8.1 provides an overview of the availability of data for chemicals management in China.

Table 8.1 An Overview of Available Information

8.2 Location of National Data

Thanks to a fairly sound statistical system, all the items listed in the table are available in China. But the data are owned and controlled by different departments, and the management technology is backward. It is therefore very inconvenient to use these data. Advanced management technology, i.e. special agency and computer network management, should be adopted to facilitate full and effective utilization of data, so as to better serve the work of chemicals management. Table 8.2 gives the location of national data.

Table 8.2 Location of National Data

8.3 Procedures for Collecting and Disseminating National/Local Data

The national statistical data include the production and import/export statistics of various types of chemicals. The production statistical data are gathered by the competent department of production and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) via reports from production enterprises to their superiors. The competent department of production and the NBS manage the data with computers. They also separately publish yearbooks for different users. Chemical import/export data are the actual figures of imports/exports through customs which are reported to the General Administration of Customs by various customs bodies. The GAC exercises computerized management of these data and publishes monthly reports. It also publishes a yearbook in both Chinese and English.

Chemicals registration includes toxic chemicals import/export register, first import of chemicals register, register of pesticides and register of the producers of toxic chemicals. Those who intend to import/export chemicals on the List of Toxic Chemicals Banned or Strictly Restricted in China must apply to the SEPA for toxic chemicals import/export environmental management registration. The relevant registration data are under the management and care of the SEPA Chemicals Registration Center. Foreign business people or their agents who intend to export to China any of their chemicals (excluding pesticides) which have not been registered in China must apply to the SEPA for chemicals import environmental management registration. The related registration data are under the management and care of the SEPA Chemicals Registration Center. To produce and import pesticides (including the production of original pesticide, processing of preparations and split charging) in China, prior registration is required. Data concerning the chemical properties, toxicology, effect, residue, impact on environment and labeling of the pesticides should be furnished with the registration application. Such data are under the management and care of the Pesticides Testing Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture for use by the people concerned. In order to protect workers’ health and the working environment, the production enterprises in the chemical industrial sector practice the toxic chemicals registration system. The first list of 50 types of toxic chemicals enjoying registration priority has already been published, as have The Rules on the Management of Toxic Chemicals. Chemical industrial enterprises are required to register the 50 types of toxic chemicals they produce, process, use and store according to the requirements of the “Toxic Substances Register,” and carry out, according to the Declaration on New Toxic Substances, registration formalities for the chemical industrial products developed after these Rules went into effect. Computerized data collection is done separately by the different provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government on the basis of registration, in order to ensure effective management of the production of toxicants. After they have registered their toxic chemicals, enterprises hang an MSDS at each site exposed to poison to help workers understand the characteristics of the poisons, avoid poisoning and facilitate first-aid treatment after poisoning.

A strict reporting system has been established for industrial and transportation accidents involving toxic substances. It is required that all industrial fire, explosion, leakage, poisoning and transportation accidents involving toxic substances should be immediately and accurately reported to the authorities at the higher level. If the case is very serious, the State will organize rescue. The reports are to be made to different competent departments.

The Ministry of Health is responsible for people’s health. The health and epidemic prevention stations, and institutions of labor hygiene and occupational disease prevention and control at various levels are responsible for the supervision and control of agricultural and industrial occupational health and poisoning accidents caused by environmental pollution; investigation into detriments to health; collection of data and analyses concerning occupational health; rescuing of poisoning victims; and the collection and statistical analysis of poisoning data and reporting such to the Ministry of Health. They are also responsible for dealing with public poisoning cases and collection of poisoning data, and reporting such to the Ministry of Health.

The State Environmental Protection Administration initiated the declaration and registration of solid wastes in 17 cities of the country in 1991. Building on this work, the solid wastes declaration and registration was carried out nationwide in 1995. This project has been completed, and all registration data have been put under computerized management. The SEPA and the State Administration of Petroleum and Chemical Industry have completed the List of Chemical Substances Available in China. The list records more than 20,000 types of chemical substances, and is available in printed form, as well as on CD-ROM and on the Internet.

The Chinese Government strictly implements the PIC procedures. The SEPA is responsible for the updating of data on chemicals import and export, and the Pesticides Testing Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the updating of data on pesticides import and export.

8.4 Availability of International Literature

International literature on chemicals safety is available mainly at such organizations as the China Environmental Science Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medical Science, Pesticides Testing Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Toxic Chemicals Information Service Center, Institute of Safety Engineering of the China Petrochemical Industry Group Co., and the Institute of Environmental Protection of the Beijing Institute of Chemical Industry. International literature is sent to these organizations by international organizations or purchased from abroad. Due to changes in the institutions and personnel possessing international data, loose contact or lack of contact with international organizations, some international literature is out of date or incomplete in China, affecting its utilization. Language is another problem significantly affecting the direct use of international literature.

Some important items of international literature have been translated into Chinese for government administrations or published in book form for use by the public. Some translated materials have been published in periodicals. The public gains access to international literature mainly through books, magazines, information services or the Internet. Table 8.3 shows the availability of International Literature, and Table 8.4 shows the availability of international data bases.

Table 8.4 Availability of International Databases

Table 8.3 Availability of International Literature

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