The REACH Candidate List now has 144 SVHCs

  1. July, 2013

Relevant for: Electrical & electronics, Hardlines, Softlines, Toys & children's products

REACH substances of very high concernThe REACH Candidate List was updated for the 9th time on 20 June 2013.  After the public consultation during March and April, only six of the ten substances proposed were judged to fulfil the criteria as substances of very high concern (SVHCs) and were added to the Candidate List, bringing the total number of SVHCs to 144.  Table 1 below lists the newly added substances, their identification numbers, potential applications and property that classifies the substances as SVHCs.

Table 1.  The six substances newly identified as SVHCs, their identification numbers, potential application and SVHC property.

Substance name

EC numberCAS numberPotential ApplicationSVHC property

Cadmium

231-152-8

7440-43-9

  • Mainly used as electrode in Ni-Cd Battery
  • Used in metal coatings, alloys
  • Used in glass, ceramics and enamels
  • Used in pigment for plastic and artists’ paints

Carcinogenic (Article 57a); Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to human health (Article 57 f)

Cadmium oxide

215-146-2

1306-19-0

  • Mainly used as a raw material in Ni-Cd battery electrodes
  • Used in electroplating, metal coatings and alloys
  • Used in glass, ceramic glass, heat-resistant enamels
  • Used as a pigment in plastics articles and in production of heat resistance polymer e.g. Teflon
Carcinogenic (Article 57a); Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to human health (Article 57 f)
Dipentyl phthalate (DPP)

205-017-9

131-18-0

Used as a plasticizer in PVC

Toxic for reproduction (Article 57 c)

4-Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated

[substances with a linear and/or branched alkyl chain with a carbon number of 9 covalently bound in position 4 to phenol, ethoxylated covering  UVCB- and well-defined substances, polymers and homologues, which include any of the individual isomers and/or combinations thereof]

 -

 -

  • Formulation of paints, lubricants, varnishes, sealants, cleaning agent and adhesive.
  • Used in paper, textiles and leather processing
  • Used for mining purposes
Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to the environment (due to the endocrine disrupting properties of the degradation products) (Article 57 f)
Ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate (APFO)

223-320-4

3825-26-1

 
  • Mainly used as processing aid in fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers e.g. Telfon
  • Water, oil and grease repellent treatments for carpets, furniture and clothing
  • It is also used in fire fighting foam, food packaging, photographic industry and semi conductor industry
Toxic for reproduction (Article 57 c); PBT (Article 57 d)

Pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

206-397-9

335-67-1

  • Mainly used as processing aid in fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers e.g. Telfon
  • Water, oil and grease repellent treatments for carpets, furniture and clothing
  • It is also used in fire fighting foam, food packaging, photographic industry and semi conductor industry

Toxic for reproduction (Article 57 c); PBT (Article 57 d)


The following four substances, which were originally proposed as SVHCs, were not included in the Candidate List because their properties as very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) or persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) could not be concluded:

  • 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(tert-butyl)-6-(sec-butyl)phenol (UV-350)
  • 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-ditertpentylphenol (UV-328)
  • 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-(5-chlorobenzotriazol-2-yl)phenol (UV-327)
  • 2-benzotriazol-2-yl-4,6-di-tert-butylphenol (UV-320) 

Candidate List Obligations – substances in articles

Once an SVHC has been added to the Candidate List, the following obligations may apply:

  • If the article contains one or more SVHCs in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight, the supplier of this article must immediately provide at least the name of the SVHC, and any available safe use information, to the customer down the supply chain or upon consumer request within 45 days.
  • Unless certain exemption criteria are met, the producer or importer of the article must submit a notification to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) within 6 months of the inclusion of an SVHC in the Candidate List, if the following conditions are met:
    • The substance is present in those articles above a concentration of 0.1% weight by weight;
    • The substance is present in the articles in quantities totalling over one tonne per producer or importer per year.

The inclusion of the SVHCs in the Candidate List is the first step of the Authorisation process. The ECHA recommends SVHCs listed on the Candidate List to the European Commission regularly for consideration to include the substances in the Authorisation List (Annex XIV).