Record keeping for reported introductions - research and development

Before you read this page’s content, make sure you’ve already read and understood the information on our record-keeping overview page.

Records you must keep

The type of records you must keep for chemicals that are only for use in research and development depends on whether you know the CAS number, CAS name, IUPAC name or INCI name for your chemical.  

Chemical identity

• If you know the CAS number – written or electronic record of the CAS number for your chemical and one of the following:

  • CAS name
  • IUPAC name
  • INCI name

  If you don't know the CAS number or it is not assigned – written or electronic record of one of the following:

  1. CAS name
  2. IUPAC name
  3. The names you use to refer to your chemical – including the names given in your pre-introduction report.

Introduction, use and exposure

• Records to prove your chemical is solely for use in research and development and is not available to the general public.
  
  We'll accept a signed and dated declaration

See our definition of research and development.

• Records to prove your chemical will be used in research and development with control measures in place. The information that we’ll accept depends on the nature of your business and the number of chemicals that you’re introducing solely for research and development.
• If you’re introducing greater than 250kg of your chemical in a registration year – records to prove the use of your chemical is subject to your control. 
  
  We’ll accept copies of correspondence between you and the users of your chemical.

Introduction requirements

You will need all the following records.

• Records to demonstrate your chemical is not one that cannot be exempted or reported at step 1 of the categorisation process, i.e:

  • isn’t listed in 
    • Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention* or 
    • Part 1 of Annex A, B or C of the Stockholm Convention
  • the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee has not decided that your chemical meets the POPs screening criteria set out in Annex D of the Stockholm Convention*
  • the AICIS Executive Director has not decided that your chemical meets the Annex D screening criteria for POPs while making the decision about issuing an assessment certificate for that chemical*.  
  • the AICIS Executive Director has not decided that your chemical meets the Annex D screening criteria for POPs based on an AICIS evaluation done on that chemical*.
    *unless it is introduced solely for use in research or analysis and the amount that you introduce in a registration year does not exceed 100kg.
  • your chemical isn’t listed on the Inventory with conditions of introduction or use that will be contravened 

  We’ll accept a signed and dated declaration that these checks took place.

• Records to demonstrate either A, B or C:

  1. Total volume of chemical introduced in a registration year does not exceed 100 kg. We’ll accept shipping documents to prove the introduction volume
  2. Chemical is not a solid or in dispersion at the time of introduction (if applicable). We’ll accept an SDS or product information sheet that indicates appearance 
  3. Chemical doesn’t consist of solid particles, in an unbound state or as an aggregate or agglomerate, where at least 50% (by number size distribution) of the particles have at least one external dimension in the nanoscale. The information we’ll accept depends on the particle size range of the solid or dispersion:

  Greater than 1000 nm in all dimensions – we'll accept:

  • an SDS or technical data sheet for the chemical or the product that it’s introduced in that indicates it will be introduced as granules, pellets, or a wax; or
  • a study result from a particle size distribution study on your chemical or the product that you will introduce into Australia (conducted according to OECD TG 110)

  Greater than 200 nm and less than or equal to 1000 nm in all dimensions – we'll accept:

  • a study result from a particle size distribution study on your chemical or the product that you will introduce into Australia (conducted according to OECD TG 110 or 125).
  • If the chemical is in a dispersion, the spectroscopy- and microscopy-based methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are more appropriate.

  Note: For particle size distributions in this range, information only from an SDS/technical data sheet or similar is not enough.

  Less than or equal to 200 nm in at least one dimension – we'll accept:

  • a study result from a particle size distribution study on your chemical or the product that you will introduce into Australia (conducted according to OECD TG 125)
  • If the chemical is in a dispersion, the spectroscopy- and microscopy-based methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are more appropriate.

  Note: For particle size distributions in this range, information only from an SDS/technical data sheet or similar is not enough.

  You can use OECD TG 110 to measure particle size and distribution to support that a chemical is not at the nanoscale for particles and fibres with sizes above 250 nm.

  OECD TG 125 on Nanomaterial Particle Size and Size Distribution of Nanomaterials measures particles and fibres with a diameter of 1 to 1000 nm and fibres with a length up to 20 µm.

  If you don't hold this information – records showing:

  • why you believe your introduction doesn’t consist of solid particles, in an unbound state or as an aggregate or agglomerate, where at least 50% (by number size distribution) of the particles have at least one external dimension in the nanoscale and  
  • the name of the person or business who you believe (on reasonable grounds) would give AICIS would give AICIS the required information to demonstrate the particle size, if requested by you, following a request from the Executive Director and  
  • why you believe the person or business who holds the information would give the required information to demonstrate the particle size. For example, this information could be in may include an email from your supplier.