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Regulatory Drivers for Greener Products
Published in Al Iannuzzi, Greener Products, 2017
One of the most significant chemical regulations that has brought substantial changes to the sale of products in Europe and throughout the world is the European REACH regulation. The acronym REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals. The regulation has been in effect since 2007; it requires that all products and chemicals imported and manufactured in EU member states greater than 1 ton per year be registered with the European Chemicals Agency. Its aim is to place the responsibility on chemical manufacturers and importers to insure chemicals are properly tested and are being used in a way that is protective of human health and the environment. The regulation requires more data on the hazards of chemicals developed, and it restricts or bans “substances of very high concern” (SVHC) (European Commission 2016). This has been a gamechanger for the use of chemicals in products and manufacturing processes and its impact is being seen throughout the world. Besides requiring registrations and much more information on the toxicity of chemicals, companies are facing the prospect of having to find other materials for their products and production processes if they use any chemicals on the SVHC list. Following the example set in the EU, other countries are adopting REACH-like regulations.
Chemical and biological health hazards and risk control
Published in Phil Hughes, Ed Ferrett, Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction, 2015
The EU has introduced chemical safety regime REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) Regulations, which restrict the use of high-risk substances or substances of very high concern and require that safer substitutes must be used. Manufacturers and importers of chemicals are responsible for understanding and managing the risks associated with their products. Authorisation seeks to ensure that risks from these substances of very high concern (SVHCs) are properly controlled. These are substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction or substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. The objective is that all such substances should be replaced where possible with less dangerous alternatives.
Toxic Pollution
Published in Kimon Hadjibiros, Ecology and Applied Environmental Science, 2013
Next we will examine classes of pollutants that occur frequently in the environment and are associated with serious toxicity phenomena that often accompany pollution. For the most part these are general inorganic or organic pollutants. The risks to humans inherent in many toxic compounds are certainly significant and only partially known. For example, there is still considerable lack of knowledge about the response of the human organism to the vast variety of potentially carcinogenic synthetic substances. In 2006 the European Union published the Registration, Evaluation Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, on the basis of which a database of chemical substances was created to provide consumers and professionals with information about possible risks. Its objective is to afford better protection of health and the environment through better and timelier identification and notification of the properties of chemical substances. Gradual replacement of the most dangerous substances is also sought when suitable alternatives are found. The different chemical substances in use number over 100,000. REACH will register all the substances produced in Europe or imported in quantities of over 1 ton per year, i.e. around 30,000 substances. There is reason for serious concern about the potential hazard of around 900 of them. Until 2012, 44 substances are proposed to be identified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) on the basis of their classifications as carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or toxic for reproduction. Five further substances are also proposed to be of great concern. Three of those are respiratory sensitisers and are proposed to be of a very high level of concern for human health. Two further proposals comprise substances proposed to be of a very high concern for the environment due to endocrine disrupting properties.
A review on the presence and removal of phthalates from wastewater
Published in Urban Water Journal, 2022
Ilona Kerienė, Audrius Maruška
The European legislation recommends reducing phthalates in a wide range of products and tightening their use in cosmetics and food packaging (SGS 2019). In 2018, the European Union’s member states voted unanimously to prohibit the use of four phthalates in consumer products sold in the EU. The four chemicals – butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) are associated with toxic effects on reproductive health (Table 1) (European Commission 2018; ECHA (European Chemical Agency) 2021a). They are widely used as plasticisers in numerous products, including toys and sports equipment. According to the European Commission’s Regulation (EU) 2018/2005, toys, childcare articles shall have a concentration of less than 0.1% of these phthalates or any combination of these phthalates. In addition, DEHP is on the list of priority 33 substances in water policy (European Commission n.d.). According to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (2018) proposal, the Directive (EU) 2018/851 on waste requires taking measures to reduce the content of hazardous substances and collect sufficient information about the presence of these substances. Authentic Candidate List for authorisation of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) aims to ensure that SVHCs are progressively replaced by less dangerous substances or technologies where technically and economically feasible alternatives are available. Phthalates – DCHP, DPP, diisohexyl phthalate, dihexyl phthalate, n-pentyl-isopentylphthalate, diisopentyl phthalate and bis(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate (Table 1) have been included in this SVHC Candidate list by the European Union (ECHA (European Chemical Agency 2021b).
Producing a thin coloured film on stainless steels – a review. Part 1: electrochemical processes
Published in Transactions of the IMF, 2022
G. T. Alliott, R. L. Higginson, G. D. Wilcox
The toxicity of hexavalent chromium is the primary concern regarding the process. Waste containing hexavalent chromium has to be subjected to a multi-stage treatment before it is safe to dispose of.26 Furthermore, it has been listed as a Category 2 carcinogen on the list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) according to the European Union (EU) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACh) regulations, which has seen its use significantly restricted.27
Risk communication for labeling all ingredients in consumer products
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 2020
Byung-Mu Lee, Mira Choi, Insoo Shin, Jinyong Kim, Zeehyun Choi, Kyoungeun Kim, Kyungmoon Choi, Seyun Yang, Dam Yi So, Seon Tae Ju, Seok Kwon
The State of California, USA, imposes legal obligation to disclose all intentionally added ingredients and 34 nonfunctional ingredients present in cleaning products. For example, the online disclosure and product label disclosure requirements will be applied to a designated product in 2020 and 2021, respectively (State of California 2017). The disclosure on websites is based upon all intentionally added ingredients including 34 nonfunctional constituents. In Europe, all ingredients are published on company websites (EC 2004). According to the Classification, Labeling, and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP) regulation, if a product is classified as a skin sensitizer (H317), the company is required to indicate the allergens that are classified as H317 and present at 0.1% or higher in a product. In the case of allergens classified as H317 1A, the company reports these compounds if present at 0.01% or greater (EC 2008). The EU detergent regulation also requires that the company specifies 26 skin allergens present at 0.01% or higher in a product (EC 2004). In addition, approximately 200 chemicals on Candidate list of Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) for Authorization are required to be reported to the government if utilized at more than 0.1% in a product with their usage amount equal to or greater than 1 ton per year (ECHA 2020). If more than 0.1% of such a chemical is present in items, this information will have to be communicated down the supply chain and for consumers, which will be shared only upon request, and within 45 days of the consumer request. In addition, there are approximately 54 chemicals on Authorization list of SVHC. These chemicals cannot be manufactured or imported in the EU or cannot be employed at more than 0.1% in mixtures or items through their whole supply chain in the EU unless authorization is granted by the authorities for a specific use and specific time.