The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) has announced an evaluation under Section 74 of the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019 covering 522 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC)). The evaluation will determine whether these substances have been introduced in Australia, and if so, in what volumes and for what end uses, and to help AICIS decide which PFAS may require further assessment.
Who this affects
AICIS registrants who were registered between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2025 will receive a notice under Section 76 requesting information about their PFAS introductions.
What information will be required
For each listed PFAS that has been introduced, registrants must provide:
- Chemical name and CAS number
- Mode of introduction (import or manufacture)
- Total volume introduced
- End use
- Explanation if any of the required information cannot be provided
Introductions that qualify as Section 11 exclusions under the Act do not need to be reported. These exclusions apply to specific cases such as:
- Naturally occurring chemicals
- Non-isolated intermediates or incidentally introduced substances
- Chemicals unintentionally released from an article that was not designed to release them
- Chemicals remaining under customs control that leave Australia within 25 working days
- Substances introduced solely for personal use by an individual
When
Registrants must submit the required information within 40 working days of receiving the notice.
Why this matters
If your organisation imports, manufactures, or uses PFAS or PFAS-containing materials, such as coatings, foams, or fire-fighting agents, this evaluation may create new data reporting obligations. Now is a good time to check whether any of the listed PFAS are used in your operations and to prepare supporting information in advance.
Feel free to contact us at [email protected] if you need help with reviewing your operations for this PFAS evaluation.
