The Priority Existing Chemical (PEC) - Assessment Report

A full PEC assessment aims to find out the risks (if any) to workers, members of the public, or the environment of importing, manufacturing, using, storing, handling or disposing of a chemical, or a group of chemicals. It will recommend ways to reduce any risks.

Assessments may take into account all uses of the chemical, or only specified uses.

Less detailed assessments known as 'preliminary assessments' aim to provide information on particular aspects of a chemical, such as its properties, uses to which it is put, any adverse effects on persons or the environment which the chemical has the intrinsic capacity to cause, or the extent to which persons or the environment are or will be exposed to the chemical.

The publication of assessment reports provides a basis for informed and scientifically based regulatory and other action on the chemicals that have been subject to assessment.

All NICNAS’s PEC assessment reports to date are available on this website.

NICNAS investigated the uptake of its PEC recommendations by Commonwealth and State and Territory regulatory bodies, as part of an overall evaluation of the PEC program in 2007-2008. The findings of the study can be accessed via the attached link.