Japan will ban the manufacture and import of a widely used ultraviolet ray absorber because it has been found to accumulate in the body and is toxic to the liver, officials said Tuesday.
The chemical, 2-(2H-1,2,3-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol, is mainly used in construction materials and car parts to prevent discoloration, but is also present in air fresheners and adhesives.
The Environment Ministry, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will put the chemical on the list of Class I Specified Chemical Substances by this fall under the Chemical Substances Control Law.
With the inclusion, the chemical will be subject to the same level of control and monitoring as dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl, which are also on the Class-I chemical substances list.