Europe calls for chemicals to be classified as ‘high concern’

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently published proposals to identify eight chemicals as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) and possible candidates for authorisation. All eight substances are proposed because of their potentially serious effects on human health. They are carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or toxic for reproduction.

The eight commonly used substances are:

• Trichloroethylene (cleaning and degreasing of metal parts, solvent in adhesives and intermediate in the manufacture of chlorinated and fluorinated organic compounds);
• Boric acid (used in biocides, preservatives, personal care products, food additives, glass, ceramics, rubber, fertilisers, flame retardants, paints, industrial fluids, brake fluids, soldering products and film developers);
• Disodium tetraborate, anhydrous (used in glass, glass fibres, ceramics, detergents, cleaners, personal care products, industrial fluids, metallurgy, adhesives, flame retardants, biocides and fertilisers);
• Tetraboron disodium heptaoxide, hydrate (same uses as above);
• Sodium chromate (used as laboratory analytical agent and in manufacturing other chromium compounds);
• Potassium chromate (used in treating and coating metals, manufacture of reagents, pigments/inks and textiles, colouring agent in ceramics and tanning of leather);
• Ammonium dichromate (used as oxidising agent, laboratory analytical agent and in tanning of leather, manufacture of textiles and cathode ray tubes and metal treatment); and
• Potassium dichromate (used in chrome-metal manufacturing, treating and coating metals, manufacture of reagents and textiles, tanning of leather, photolithography, wood treatment and as corrosion inhibitor in cooling systems and as laboratory analytical agent).

There are already 29 substances on the ECHA Candidate List. Inclusion on that list means new information requirements for suppliers of preparations and articles containing the substances.