The Ministry of Environment in South Korea plans to include lubricants in the list of products subject to safety checks. 39 consumer products have been listed in K-BPR that will need safety checks. The draft amendment proposed to include lubricants under the 'coatings' category. Once this draft is approved and implemented, lubricants manufacturers and importers should obtain a certificate of effectiveness and efficacy. 

Moreover, the amendment bans the following five substances in lubricants:

• vinyl chloride;
• tetrachloroethylene;
• trichloroethylene;
• dichloromethane; and
• ethylene dichloride.

Further, it restricts the following substances: 

• formaldehyde – 70 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) or less;
• acetaldehyde – 50mg/kg or less;
• benzene – less than 10mg/kg;
• bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate – 800mg/kg or less;
• naphthalene – 100mg/kg or less; and
• nickel – 100mg/kg or less.

Last updates: 2021-04-16