China is taking action to control new pollutants
Chen Zhenkai Li Xinran
Starting from 2022, the treatment of new pollutants will be included in my country’s government work report for three consecutive years.
With the further advancement of the construction of a beautiful China, my country's ecological and environmental protection work is developing from the treatment of sensory indicators such as "smog" and "black odor" to the stage of treatment of new pollutants with long-term and hidden harm.
The “hard nut” that must be chewed
What are new contaminants?
At present, new pollutants that are widely concerned at home and abroad mainly include persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, etc. controlled by international conventions. The production and use of toxic and harmful chemicals are the main sources of new pollutants.
The reason why new pollutants are called "new" is that, on the one hand, they are compared with conventional pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and PM2.5; on the other hand, there are many types of new pollutants, and new pollutants that can be identified It will continue to increase. There are currently more than 20 categories of new pollutants of global concern, each containing dozens or hundreds of chemical substances.
Jiang Guibin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and dean of the School of Resources and Environment of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, believes that “unconscious contact, persistent retention, and undetectable harm to human health and environmental systems, etc. These characteristics constitute the common characteristics of new pollutants. feature". As understanding continues to deepen and environmental monitoring technology continues to develop, the types and amounts of new pollutants will continue to change.
Literature data shows that relatively high levels of new pollutants such as environmental endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, and microplastics have been detected in the atmosphere, water, and soil in some areas of my country. It is generally believed from all walks of life that new pollutants are gradually becoming new difficulties that restrict the continuous and in-depth improvement of the quality of the atmosphere, water, and soil environment. They are also "the 'hard nut' that must be gnawed on for ecological and environmental protection after haze and black and smelly water bodies."
Controlling new pollutants is not easy.
my country is currently the world's largest producer and user of chemical products and the most important supplier of chemical raw materials, with more than 50,000 chemical substances in production and use. These chemicals are consumed and used in many industries, and some chemicals are closely related to important fields such as agricultural production, daily necessities, and aerospace products.
Hu Jianxin, a professor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Peking University, wrote an article introducing that my country's annual production of short-chain chlorinated paraffins can reach millions of tons. "Chlorpyrifos" (note: a pesticide) involves agricultural production and food security, and the development of their alternatives It is relatively difficult. There may be conflicts in terms of availability, performance, cost, environment and safety, and it is difficult to achieve perfection. This will bring huge challenges to the treatment of new pollutants in the future.
New pollutant control mainly involves the chemical industry and its downstream industrial chain. In recent years, my country's overall industrial technology and management level have improved significantly, but some companies are still at the low end of the industrial chain, with uneven technical levels and management capabilities. In cities with rapid industrial development and urbanization, improper waste disposal can lead to residues of organochlorine compounds, and industrial activities such as mining and smelting can lead to heavy metal emissions and residue problems. The frequent use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in some agricultural areas will cause emissions and residue problems of organophosphorus compounds.
The weak detection foundation is also a problem that needs to be solved urgently. Jiang Guibin found that the key point of new pollutant control is "new" and the difficulty is also "new". Because it is "new", there are problems such as monitoring methods that cannot keep up, pollution bases are unclear, environmental processes are unclear, environmental hazards are not understood, and conventional prevention and control methods do not work.
The unclear toxic action mechanism of new pollutants and the lack of efficient purification technology also hinder the treatment process of new pollutants. Jiang Guibin suggested accelerating the establishment of the "New Pollutant Control Science and Technology Special Project", promoting interdisciplinary integration and high-tech application, developing a theoretical and technical system for new pollutant prevention and control and risk early warning, and strengthening technical support for new pollutant treatment.
Our country is also facing the prominent problem of coexistence of new pollutants and traditional pollutants.
Has been clearly deployed
The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the control of new pollutants.
The "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Deepening the Fight against Pollution" published in November 2021 made clear arrangements for the treatment of new pollutants and required the formulation and implementation of action plans for the treatment of new pollutants. Half a year later, in May 2022, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Action Plan for the Treatment of New Pollutants" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"). This plan sets out requirements for the treatment of new pollutants in terms of overall requirements, action measures, and safeguard measures.
What are the goals for new pollutant control?
The "Action Plan" requires that by 2025, our country will complete the environmental risk screening of chemical substances of high concern and high production (use), complete the environmental risk assessment of a batch of chemical substances; dynamically publish a list of key new pollutants under control; Environmental risk management and control measures such as bans, restrictions, and emission restrictions on new pollutants shall be implemented. The regulatory system and management mechanism for the environmental risk management of toxic and harmful chemical substances have been gradually established and improved, and the ability to control new pollutants has been significantly enhanced.
How to treat new pollutants?
The "Action Plan" makes 18 specific arrangements from six aspects: improving laws and regulations, carrying out investigation and monitoring, strict source control, strengthening process control, deepening end-of-line governance, and strengthening capacity building. For example, in terms of improving laws and regulations and establishing and improving new pollutant treatment systems, the Action Plan proposes to improve laws and regulations, establish and improve technical standards systems, and establish and improve new pollutant treatment and management mechanisms. It is required to establish an inter-departmental coordination mechanism for the management of new pollutants led by the ecological environment department and participated by development and reform, science and technology, industry and information technology, finance, housing and urban-rural construction, agriculture and rural areas, commerce, health, customs, market supervision, drug supervision and other departments. , coordinate and promote the treatment of new pollutants.
In terms of conducting investigations and monitoring and assessing the environmental risk status of new pollutants, the "Action Plan" proposes to establish an environmental information investigation system for chemical substances, establish an environmental investigation and monitoring system for new pollutants, establish an environmental risk assessment system for chemical substances, and dynamically publish key management and control new pollution specific measures such as a list of goods. It is clearly required to formulate "one product, one policy" control measures for chemical substances included in the list of priority chemicals and other key new pollutants such as antibiotics and microplastics, conduct an assessment of the technical feasibility and economic and social impact of control measures, and identify priority Control the main environmental emission sources of chemicals, formulate and revise emission standards for relevant industries in a timely manner, and dynamically update the list of toxic and harmful air pollutants, the list of toxic and harmful water pollutants, and the list of key controlled soil toxic and harmful substances.
The "Action Plan" proposes to carry out pilot projects for the treatment of new pollutants. It is required to focus on petrochemicals, coatings, textile printing and dyeing, rubber, pesticides, In the pharmaceutical and other industries, a group of key enterprises and industrial parks will be selected to carry out pilot projects for the treatment of new pollutants, and a number of demonstration technologies for green substitution of toxic and harmful chemicals, emission reduction of new pollutants, and treatment of new pollutants in sewage sludge, waste liquids and residues will be formed. . Encourage qualified localities to formulate incentive policies and encourage enterprises to pilot projects to reduce the generation and discharge of new pollutants.
Overall, the "Action Plan" designs a "three-step" governance work path. The first step is "screening" to screen out pollutants with greater potential environmental risks and include them in the scope of priority environmental risk assessment; the second step is "evaluation", which involves screening out the chemical substances that have potential environmental and health risks. New pollutants with greater risks are regarded as key control objects; the third step is "control". For the key control objects determined in the first two steps, comprehensive management and control measures are implemented throughout the process.
The Action Plan clarifies several key time points for the treatment of new pollutants.
For example, the first batch of new pollutant lists for key control will be released in 2022. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, special treatment was carried out for a number of key new pollutants under control. Before the end of 2025, the re-evaluation of a batch of highly toxic and high-risk pesticide varieties will be completed. Local people's governments at all levels must strengthen organizational leadership for the treatment of new pollutants. People's governments at the provincial level are the main body organizing the implementation of this action plan. They will organize and formulate a work plan for the treatment of new pollutants in the region before the end of 2022, with detailed and decomposed goals. tasks, clarify the division of labor between departments, and implement the work well. Relevant departments under the State Council should strengthen division of labor and collaboration to jointly control new pollutants, and evaluate the implementation of this action plan in 2025.
In the year when the "Action Plan" was announced, our government's work report proposed to strengthen the management of solid waste and new pollutants, and promote garbage classification, reduction, and resource utilization. The following year, our country’s government work report proposed strengthening the management of solid waste and new pollutants. In this year's government work report, the relevant statement is to strengthen the control of solid waste, new pollutants, and plastic pollution.
At the beginning of this year, Xinhua News Agency published the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China," which called for strengthening the management of solid waste and new pollutants. Accelerate the construction of "waste-free cities", continue to promote new pollutant control actions, and promote the realization of "waste-free" and healthy environments in urban and rural areas. Strengthen comprehensive management of solid waste, limit excessive packaging of goods, and control plastic pollution throughout the chain. We will deepen the comprehensive ban on the entry of "foreign garbage" and strictly prevent all forms of solid waste smuggling and disguised imports. Strengthen hazardous waste supervision, utilization and disposal capabilities, and strengthen tailings pond pollution control focusing on the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin. Formulate environmental risk management regulations for toxic and harmful chemical substances. By 2027, the construction proportion of "waste-free cities" will reach 60%, and the intensity of solid waste generation will be significantly reduced; by 2035, the construction of "waste-free cities" will be fully covered, and the eastern provinces will take the lead in building "waste-free cities" throughout the region, eliminating new pollutants Environmental risks are effectively managed and controlled.
Also this year, many provinces in my country mentioned the treatment of “new pollutants” in their government work reports. Promoting the construction of "waste-free cities" and strengthening the management of new pollutants are common goals in many places.
Strengthen collaborative governance
The characteristics of new pollutants determine the need for coordinated management.
The environmental risk of new pollutants is an environmental problem faced by countries around the world.
DDT mentioned in "Silent Spring" is one of the chemicals with typical characteristics of new pollutants. Its harm has spanned half a century and spread to every corner of the world. It is impossible to control it with the power of a single country. Professor Hu Jianxin pointed out: "The control of some new pollutants requires global action. In addition to being persistent, bioaccumulative, carcinogenic, teratogenic and other biological toxicities, some new pollutants also have the potential to migrate over long distances. , can migrate across international borders with air, water or migratory species and be deposited in areas far away from their emission points, causing global environmental pollution problems."
In terms of new pollutant control, my country has a cross-departmental coordination mechanism.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly stated the important task of “carrying out new pollutant control”. Shortly after the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, on November 4, 2022, the first meeting of the "Inter-ministerial Coordination Group for New Pollutant Control" was held in Beijing. The leader of the coordination group is Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment. In addition to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, member units of the inter-ministerial coordination group also include the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Health Commission, the General Administration of Customs, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and other departments.
On February 2, 2024, the second meeting of the group was held. The meeting proposed that we should give full play to the role of the promotion mechanism for new pollutant control, strengthen cross-departmental joint actions, increase guidance and assistance to local counterpart departments and enterprises, strengthen supervision and law enforcement and follow up on effectiveness, and systematically promote the key tasks of new pollutant control Make breakthrough progress. In addition, it was mentioned that we should accelerate the advancement of new pollutant control legislation, promote the implementation of major scientific and technological projects, plan and deploy a number of major projects, strengthen fiscal, taxation, financial, price and other policy support, and build a "combination of law, technology, and policy".
In addition to inter-ministerial coordination, there is also inter-provincial cooperation.
For example, Sichuan and Chongqing jointly promote the treatment of new pollutants. On March 14 this year, the first joint meeting on new pollutant control between Sichuan and Chongqing provinces was held in Chongqing. The meeting reported on the progress of new pollutant control work in the two places in 2023 and the work plan for 2024. The meeting proposed to carry out Sichuan-Chongqing joint investigation and monitoring of new pollutants, focusing on understanding the current status of new pollutants such as antibiotics and perfluorinated compounds, jointly promoting the risk assessment of chemical substances in Chengdu and Chongqing, and issuing a supplementary list of key new pollutants controlled in Chengdu and Chongqing. Provide evidence.
Some provinces are carrying out pilot projects.
For example, Jiangsu is a pilot province for environmental monitoring of new pollutants. The province monitors pollution points in water sources and air in two pilot industrial development zones. Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and other provinces have carried out pilot investigations, monitoring and evaluation of new pollutants in key industries. Anhui Province focuses on full-process monitoring and environmental information investigation, conducts law enforcement inspections on the production, processing and use of new chemical substances, and carries out pilot projects for basic environmental information investigation on chemical substances. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has launched a pilot project for the investigation and risk assessment of new pollutants in the entire Yellow River Basin and the "One Lake and Two Seas" to carry out non-targeted screening and quantitative monitoring of new pollutants. Shaanxi Province has launched a pilot program for ecological and environmental damage compensation involving new pollutants to provide guarantee for promoting clean production and green manufacturing.
At present, various regions are conducting pilot projects in key industries, key fields, key watersheds, process monitoring and result guarantees, forming a multi-level and multi-dimensional pilot network. These pilot projects are part of the new pollutant control work. Some places have also focused on improving legal protection, promulgating regulations on soil pollution prevention and control, and clearly implementing and strengthening the management of new pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants.
According to the plan, in 2025, Jiangsu will initially establish an environmental investigation and monitoring system for new pollutants, Shandong will initially establish a new pollutant treatment system, and Liaoning's new pollutant treatment capabilities will be significantly enhanced...
Time is tight and the task is heavy. (People's Daily Overseas Edition)