On July 08, 2021, ECHA (European Chemical Agency) has added additional 8 new substances to the Candidate List of SVHCs. The Candidate List of SVHC (Substance of Very High Concern) now, contains a total of 219 substances that could have serious effects on people or the environment under REACH Regulation (EC 1907/2006).
Few of these newly added substances are used in consumer products such as cosmetics, scented articles, rubber and textiles and others are used as solvents, flame retardants or to manufacture plastics products. These substances pose a risk to humans as they are hazardous and can cause health defects in reproduction, carcinogenic risks, respiratory sensitizers or endocrine disrupting actions.
If these are added to the authorization list, all related industrial stakeholders will need to apply for approval to continue usage of these chemicals in their products.
The eight substances added are as follows-
Sr. No. | Substance name | EC number | CAS number | Reason for inclusion | Examples of use(s) |
1 | 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde and its individual stereoisomers | - | - | Toxic for Reproduction (Article 57 c) | Cleaning agents, cosmetics, in scented articles, polishes and wax blends. |
2 | Orthoboric acid, sodium salt | 237-560-2 | 13840-56-7 | Toxic for reproduction (Article 57 c) | Not registered under REACH. |
May be used as solvent and corrosion inhibitor. | |||||
3 | 2,2-bis(bromomethyl)propane1,3-diol (BMP); 2,2-dimethylpropan-1-ol,tribromo derivative/3-bromo-2,2-bis(bromomethyl)-1-propanol (TBNPA);2,3-dibromo-1-propanol (2,3-DBPA)
| 221-967-7, 253-057-0, 202-480-9
| 3296-90-0, 36483-57-5, 1522-92-5, 96-13-9 | Carcinogenic (Article 57 a)
| BMP: manufacture of polymer resins and in one component foam (OCPF) application. TBNPA: polymer production manufactureof plastics products, including compounding and conversion and as an intermediate. DBPA: registered as an intermediate. |
4 | Glutaral | 203-856-5 | 111-30-8 | Respiratory sensitising properties (Article 57f - human health) | Biocides, leather tanning, x-ray film processing, cosmetics. |
5 | Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCP) (UVCB substances consisting of more than or equal to 80% linear chloroalkanes with carbon chain lengths within the range from C14 to C17) | - | - | PBT (Article 57d) vPvB (Article 57e) | Flame retardants, plasticising additives in plastics, sealants, rubber and textiles. |
6 | Phenol, alkylation products (mainly in para position) with C12-rich branched alkyl chains from oligomerisation, covering any individual isomers and/ or combinations thereof (PDDP)
| - | - | Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c) Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57f - human health and environment) | Preparation of lubricant additive materials and of fuel system cleaners. |
7 | 1,4-dioxane | 204-661-8 | 123-91-1 | Carcinogenic (Article 57a) Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to the environment (Article 57f -environment) Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to human health (Article 57f –human health) | Solvent |
8 | 4,4'- (1- methylpropylidene) bisphenol | 201-025-1 | 77-40-7 | Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57f - human health and environment) | Not registered under REACH. May be used in manufacture of phenolic and polycarbonate resin. |