On December 29, 2022, the State Administration for Market Regulation (Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China) approved and issued GB 28489-2022 Limits of Harmful Substances in Musical Instruments, which replaced the GB/T 28489-2012. The nature of the standard has been changed from recommended (GB/T) to mandatory (GB), and the new standard will be implemented on January 1, 2024.

This standard is the first mandatory national standard for the musical instrument industry, applicable to musical instruments, musical instrument accessories, and indoor musical instrument packaging. It specifies the requirements for the content of harmful substances in musical instrument products and updates the test methods for some items, setting higher production standards. The implementation of the new standard requires musical instrument manufacturers to strictly control product quality and ensure product safety. This has a positive impact on promoting the healthy development of the musical instrument industry and enhancing the overall quality and market competitiveness of China's musical instrument products.

It is worth noting that the new standard explicitly states: "For products produced or imported before the implementation date of this document, the requirements of this document shall be met starting from the 13th month after the implementation date." This means that products produced or imported before January 1, 2024, have a one-year transition period and must comply with this standard by no later than January 1, 2025.

Quick Overview of Harmful Substance Limit Requirements

In terms of harmful substance control, the new standard divides musical instruments, musical instrument accessories, and indoor musical instrument packaging into two categories:

Category A: Instruments and accessories that are in direct contact with the player's mouth under normal use conditions;

Category B: Instruments, accessories, and indoor musical instrument packaging that are not in direct contact with the player's mouth but can be touched by the human body under normal use conditions.

In addition to the newly added and modified limit indicators, the requirements for restricted substances in electronic musical instruments and electronic components within musical instruments, as well as the requirements for natural radioactive nuclides in stone and ceramic material instruments, have not changed significantly.

I. Limits on Phthalate Substances*Amended Limits
Item	Limit Value (%)		Applicable Scope
	Category A	Category B
Sum of DEHP, DBP, BBP	≤0.1		Musical instruments, accessories, and indoor packaging made of plastic materials
Sum of DINP, DIDP, DNOP	≤0.1	—

II. Limits on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)*New Requirements
Item	Limit Value (mg/kg)		Applicable Scope
	Category A	Category B
Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)	≤0.2	＜1	Musical instruments, accessories, and indoor packaging
Total of 16 PAHs	≤1	＜10

III. Limits on Migratable Elements
Item	Limit Value (mg/kg)		Applicable Scope
	Category A	Category B
Lead	≤90		Musical instruments, accessories, and indoor packaging that can be touched by the human body during normal use
Chromium	≤60
Cadmium	≤75
Mercury	≤60
Antimony	≤60	—
Selenium	≤500	—
Barium	≤1000	—
Arsenic	≤25	—

IV. Limits on Benzene Compounds, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), and Formaldehyde
Item		Limit Value (mg/m³)	Applicable Scope
Benzene Compounds	Toluene	≤0.20	Musical instruments, accessories, and indoor packaging made of wood, textiles, adhesives, and paint materials
	Xylene	≤0.20
	Benzene	≤0.11
TVOC		≤0.60
Formaldehyde		≤0.08
Note: Products with a total volume sum of different parts of the external profile ≤0.003m³ are not subject to this limit

V. Limits on Aromatic Amine Dyes, Tetrachlorophenol (TeCP), and Pentachlorophenol (PCP)*New Requirements
Item	Limit Value (mg/kg)	Applicable Scope
Aromatic Amine Dyes	Should not contain	Musical instruments, accessories, and indoor packaging made of wood, textiles, leather
TeCP	Should not contain
PCP	Should not contain	Musical instruments, accessories, and indoor packaging made of textiles, leather
	≤5	Musical instruments, accessories, and indoor packaging made of wood materials

VI. Limits on Substances Restricted in Electronic Components
Item	Limit Value (%)	Applicable Scope
Cadmium	≤0.01	Electronic musical instruments and electronic components within musical instruments
Lead	≤0.1
Mercury
Hexavalent Chromium
Polybrominated Biphenyls
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers
Note: Excludes substances listed on the exemption list of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China

VII. Limits on Radioactivity of Natural Radionuclides
Item	Limit Value (%)	Applicable Scope
Natural radionuclides Ra-226, Th-232, K-40	Internal exposure index Ira≤1.0, External exposure index Iγ≤1.0	Musical instruments made of stone or ceramic materials

Additionally, comparison of test methods for certain items
Item	New Test Method	Old Test Method
Phthalates	GB/T 22048	GB 24613-2009
Migratable Elements	GB 6675.4-2014	GB/T 3186-2006 GB 6675-2003 GB 24613-2009
Benzene Compounds, TVOC, Formaldehyde	GB 28489-2022 Appendix C and D	GB/T 28489-2012 6.4

As people's living standards improve, various types of musical instruments have entered households. These instruments serve not only for music education and entertainment but also become part of home furnishings and interior decoration. Currently, over 80% of musical instruments in homes are prepared for children. During their growth and development, children are a high-risk group vulnerable to toxic materials in products and indoor environmental pollution. Prolonged exposure to harmful materials or staying in a polluted indoor environment can cause serious harm to children's health!

The implementation of the new mandatory national standard is of great importance for strictly controlling the pollution of harmful substances from musical instruments to the indoor environment, reducing the harm of instrument pollution to human health, enhancing the overall product quality of the musical instrument industry, and protecting consumers' rights to physical health. This revision of the standard also sets a red line for the import of old pianos, promoting the development of the musical instrument industry towards a safe, healthy, and sustainable path right from the source.

CIRSC&K Testing can provide professional analytical and testing services for GB 28489-2022 upon customer request. In addition, we offer comprehensive one-stop solutions that integrate consulting, testing, and certification services. Please feel free to contact us attest@cirs-group.comif you have any questions. With a team of experienced specialists, C&K Testing ensures the quality and safety of your products through professional testing services in accordance with various standards.