The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) decided to revise Discharge Standards for Water Pollutants from Phosphate Fertilizer Industry (GB 15580-2011), adding discharge limit (6μg/L) for thallium of wastewater arising from producing phosphate fertilizers, as detailed in a modification list (exposure draft) the MEE issued recently.

Among national pollutant discharge standards, only Discharge Standards for Pollutants from Inorganic Chemical Industry (GB 31573-2015) has discharge limit (0.005mg/L) for thallium of wastewater. As for provincial or municipal standards, five places – Hunan, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Shanghai – set discharge limits for thallium.