REACH EU Regulation and Compliance

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching pieces of environmental legislation to come out of the European Union. Third-party laboratory Testing allows you to verify compliance with the following requirements of REACH:

Annex XVII Restricted Substances:

• 3 phthalates for toys and 6 phthalates for toys when the toy can be placed in the mouth by children
• AZO colorants in textiles
• Nickel release from metal products in direct contact with skin
• and many others...

Candidate List of 49 SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern):

There is a general 0.1% w/w (0.1% of total product weight) limit for each of the 49 SVHCs that applies to all product types. Substances of Very High Concern include

• Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMR)
• Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) or very Persistent and very Bioaccumulative (vPvB)
• Identified, on a case-by-case basis, from scientific evidence as causing probable serious effects to human health or the environment of an equivalent level of concern as those above (e.g. endocrine disrupters).

---

REACH Updates

Announced June 20, 2011 - ECHA updates the REACH Candidate List

Seven new substances have been added to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for authorization. Companies manufacturing or importing these substances, or articles containing the substances, need to check their potential obligations that result from the listing.

Following unanimous agreement of the Member State Committee, ECHA has added seven substances to the Candidate List, which are carcinogenic and/or toxic for reproduction. The list now contains 53 substances in total.

In addition, the entry on the Candidate List for cobalt dichloride has been updated due to its classification as toxic for reproduction. Cobalt dichloride was originally identified as an SVHC in October 2008 because of its classification as carcinogenic.

Read the Full Story

Effective December 1, 2011

Cadmium in jewellery, plastics and brazing sticks will be banned in the EU from December 2011. High levels of the harmful substance cadmium have been found in some jewellery articles, especially in imported imitation jewellery. Consumers including children risked being exposed to cadmium through skin contact or through licking. The new legislation prohibits the use of cadmium in all types of jewellery products, except for antiques. The ban also covers cadmium in all plastics and brazing sticks, which are used to join dissimilar materials as fumes that are released during this process are highly dangerous if inhaled.

Read the Full Story

Announced February 17, 2011

Six substances of very high concern will be banned within the next three to five years unless an authorization has been granted to individual companies for their use. These substances are carcinogenic, toxic for reproduction or persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms. Operators wishing to sell or use these substances will need to demonstrate that the required safety measures have been taken to adequately control the risks, or that the benefits for the economy and society outweigh the risks. Where feasible alternative substances or techniques exist, a timetable for substitution will also have to be submitted.

Read the Full Story

Candidate List Extension

On August 30th, 2010, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published proposals to identify eleven new substances* as Substances of Very High Concern and possible candidates for Authorization. The public comments on these proposals have ended on October 14th, 2010. The ECHA is now reviewing the comments and the Candidate List is expected to be updated in early 2011, meaning there might soon be up to 49 SVHCs.

AsiaInspection recommends all importers serving the EU test their products for SVHCs in order to show due diligence in complying with REACH regulations. AsiaInspection Laboratory Testing can help you prepare, implement and comply with REACH regulations. Our testing services allow you to place your products with confidence on the targeted markets. To learn more about our testing services for a wide range of products, please complete the Need More Information form on the right.

* 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene; 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene; 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene; Cobalt(II) sulphate; Cobalt(II) dinitrate; Cobalt(II) carbonate; Cobalt(II) diacetate; 2-Methoxyethanol; 2-Ethoxyethanol; Chromium trioxide; Chromic acid & Dichromic acid.

Proposed restriction on lead and its compounds in jewelry under REACH Annex XVII

Children may be exposed to lead through oral contact or accidental ingestion of jewelry. In general, the adverse health effects of lead are severe and are difficult to detect by medical personnel as the symptoms are not specific. France has proposed to restrict lead and its compounds in jewelry under the REACH Regulation.

The regulated parameter would be the lead migration rate, and the suggested limit is 0.09 micrograms per square centimeter per hour (µg/cm²/hr). A public consultation is open until December 21st, 2010 and final opinion from ECHA to EU Commission is due by March 21st, 2011.

Proposed inclusion of Dimethylfumarate (DMFu) restriction in REACH Annex XVII

Dimethylfumarate (DMFu) is used as an anti-molding agent to protect articles during storage and transport. Consumer articles containing DMFu (e.g. furniture, clothing and shoes) can cause severe skin problems (dermatitis). Currently, there is a temporary ban that requires EU Member States to ensure that articles containing DMFu are not placed on the market.

France proposed a restriction under the REACH Regulation to make this temporary ban permanent. A public consultation is open until December 21st, 2010 and final opinion from ECHA to the EU Commission is due by March 21st, 2011.