The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on January 23, 2024, that it has updated its Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) under the REACH Regulation. The five new chemicals are used in a range of products and brings the total number of entries to 240.
Five Chemicals Added to the SVHC
The Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) is a list under the REACH Regulation. The SVHC list is maintained by the ECHA. The purpose is to identify substances that may cause serious effects on human health/environment, and it is regularly updated based on new scientific evidence and assessments conducted by the ECHA and member states. Click here to access the full list.
Out of the five added chemicals to the SVHC Candidate List. One is identified as toxic for reproduction. Three are very persistent and bioaccumulative, and one exhibits both toxic for reproduction and persistent characteristics. These substances have been found in various consumer products such as toners, adhesives, sealants, washing, and cleaning products, expanding the scope of concern.
The List of Five New SVHC
| Substance name | EC number | CAS number | Reason for inclusion | Examples of uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenol | 211-989-5 | 732-26-3 | Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c)
Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) |
Manufacture of another substance; formulation of mixtures and in fuel products. |
| 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol | 221-573-5 | 3147-75-9 | Very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) (Article 57e) |
Air care products, coating products, adhesives and sealants, lubricants and greases, polishes and waxes and washing and cleaning products. |
| 2-(dimethylamino)-2-[(4-methylphenyl)methyl]-1-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]butan-1-one | 438-340-0 | 119344-86-4 | Toxic for reproduction (Article 57c) | Inks and toners, coating products. |
| Bumetrizole | 223-445-4 | 3896-11-5 | vPvB (Article 57e) |
Coating products, adhesives and sealants and washing and cleaning products. |
| Oligomerisation and alkylation reaction products of 2-phenylpropene and phenol | 700-960-7 | – | vPvB (Article 57e) |
Adhesives and sealants, coating products, fillers, putties, plasters, modelling clay, inks and toners and polymers. |
| Dibutyl phthalate (updated entry) | 201-557-4 | 84-74-2 | Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) – environment) |
Metal working fluids, washing and cleaning products, laboratory chemicals and polymers. |
Source: ECHA
Important Dates and Responsibilities
All companies handling these substances are mandated to manage chemical risks. In addition to providing customers with information on safe usage if the product contains more than 0.1% of a SVHC, all companies must notify the ECHA if the total amount of the SVHC exceeds 1 ton annually.
Has these new changes going to impact your business? Contact HQTS at inquiry@hqts.com if you have any questions regarding these changes.
