Screening and identification of priority control chemicals based on the comprehensive evaluation of hazards: taking a city in the south as an example

A comprehensive evaluation system of chemical hazard including 2 hazardous influencing factors, i.e. toxic effects and environmental effects, and 8 indicators was constructed based on the analytic hierarchy process. This evaluation system was applied to the priority control chemicals of a city in southern China. The relevant laws and regulations of the city, US toxic substance database and pollution source survey data were sorted out. The raw and auxiliary materials of chemicals and their actual use were analyzed. And the primary list of priority control chemicals was determined. The calculation of the hazards of chemicals was carried out, and the environmental priority control risk values were finally determined, so as to screen and identify the city’s priority control chemical list. The results showed that there were 23 chemicals in the primary list of chemicals in the city, and the chemicals with higher risk values for environmental priority control were decabromodiphenyl ether, hexabromocyclododecane, nonylphenol, and short-chain chlorinated paraffins, which were mainly involved in rubber, plastics, fiber, electronic products, metal processing and other industries or fields. It was recommended to conduct an in-depth full life cycle environmental impact assessment for the city’s priority chemicals, and combine source reduction, process control and end treatment to reduce the environmental risks of priority chemicals.