ECHA updates candidate list with seven SVHC's

16 Jan '14

3 min read

On 16 December 2013, 7 substances were added to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for Authorization by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA). In December 2013, the multi-annual work program 2014 - 2018 was adopted and ECHA expects to receive 30 proposals for identification as SVHC in 2014 and then 50 proposals annually for the following four years.

The current list consists of 151 entries which would be expanded over time until 2020, according to the roadmap for SVHC identification and implementation of REACH.

Obligations for EU Importers and Manufacturers under REACH

Under Article 33 of REACH, importers and producers of articles have to provide information on safe use of the products within 45 days upon request, if a Candidate List substance is present in the articles in a concentration above 0.1% (w/w).

For SVHC present in the articles above a concentration of 0.1% (w/w) and in quantity over one ton per year, manufacturers or the importers of the articles have to submit a notification to ECHA according to Article 7 of REACH. The notification of SVHCs in articles shall be made within 6 months after its inclusion to the List. The notification deadline for the 7 SVHCs added to the Candidate List on 16 December 2013 is 16 June 2014.

SVHC Candidate List Update

7 substances were added to the SVHC candidate list on 16 December 2013. Three of the new candidate substances widely used as additives in plastic and rubber were included because of the reproductive toxicity category 1B (Repr. 1B). With the inclusion of dihexyl phthalate, the phthalate substance group now counts 12 entries.

While trixylyl phosphate is used as flame retardant in plastic, imidazolidine-2-thione acts as an accelerator in the production of chloroprene rubber. There are three colorants on the list and are classified as Carcinogen category 1B (Carc. 1B). Direct Black 38 and Direct Red 28 are benzidine-based dyes mainly used for the dyeing of textile and paper.

The inorganic pigment, cadmium sulphide, is also classified as equivalent level of concern (EQC) based on their specific target organ toxicity after prolonged exposure (STOT RE). Lead compounds now comprise 31 entries by including lead di(acetate), which is classified as toxic to reproduction category 1A.

About SGS REACH Services

SVHC may be introduced into various consumer products due to the complexities of both the supply chain and production process. SVHC laboratory testing provides reliable evidence to determine if chemical substances exist in products and information on their volume and concentration. Identifying high risk products or materials or having a test strategy can also be a smart way to ensure compliance and save costs.

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