SAFEGUARDS | Consumer Products NO. 104/17

On July 7, 2017, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) added one new Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) to the Candidate List [1] and updated another substance's properties on the list. The addition of the new SVHC Perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid and its salts (PFHxS) brings the total number of entries to 174. Bisphenol A has been included in the SVHC candidate list from January 12, 2017 based on its classification of Repr. 1B according to CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 [2]. Meanwhile it has been unanimously agreed to update its listing due to its endocrine disrupting properties, which have an equivalent level of concern (EQC) causing probable serious effects to human health.

Obligations for Article Producers and Importers

According to Article 33 of REACH, European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) manufacturers and importers of articles are required to provide information to allow the safe use of products by recipients upon supply, and to consumers within 45 days, upon request, when the concentration of the SVHC in the article exceeds 0.1% (w/w). For articles that contain an SVHC in which the concentration is above 0.1% with the quantity over one tonne per year, a notification shall be submitted to ECHA by the manufacturers or the importers under Article 7 of REACH. The notification of SVHCs in an article shall be made within six months of their inclusion on the list. The notification deadline for the one new SVHC added to the Candidate List is January 7, 2018.

New SVHC Candidate

PFHxS is the ninth long-chain perfluorinated compound and the first perfluorinated sulphonic acid to be identified as a SVHC on the Candidate List because of its vPvB properties. PFHxS is a known impurity during production of Heptadecafluorooctane-1-sulphonic acid (PFOS) and it could be used as an alternative for PFOS.

Potential uses of the two SVHCs are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1. Possible uses of the two SVHCs in the Candidate List published by ECHA on July 7, 2017

No. Substance CAS No./
EC No. 		Classification Potential uses
1 4,4'-Isopropylidenediphenol (Bisphenol A) 80-05-7 / 201-245-8 EQC
  • Anti-oxidant for processing PVC
  • Use in epoxy resin hardeners, epoxy adhesives and encapsulants
  • Manufacture of thermal paper, polycarbonate, epoxy resins, coating materials
2 Perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid and its salts - / - vPvB
  • Component of fire-fighting foam
  • Surfactants
  • Manufacture of fluoropolymers
  • Water and stain protective coatings for carpets, paper and textiles

Abbreviations

EQC: Equivalent level of concern
Repr 1B: Toxic for reproduction category 1B
vPvB: Very persistent and very bioaccumulative

NEXT STEP: The notification of the new SVHC shall be submitted by January 7, 2018.

SVHCs may be introduced into various consumer products due to the complexities of both the supply chain and production process. Identifying high risk products or materials, or having a test strategy, can also be a smart way to ensure compliance and save costs. If you would like to learn more about how SGS can support your REACH compliance activities please contact us at reach@sgs.com or visit http://www.sgs.com/reach

For enquiries, please contact:

Emily LamCorporate Research & Development
t: +852 2204 8339 ext.1339

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SGS SA published this content on 12 July 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 14 July 2017 01:59:05 UTC.

Original documenthttp://www.sgs.com/en/news/2017/07/safeguards-10417-eu-echa-amends-svhc-candidate-list-to-contain-174-entries-and-updates-one-entry

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