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Eurofins | Newsflash - May 2018 | Chemical

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Europe

 

New Website on Chemicals

On 15th March 2018, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launched a new website where consumers can find information about chemicals in our daily lives.
 
The website,
'Chemicals in our life', is available in 23 languages. The readers can find a great variety of information such as hot topics, chemical database, nanomaterials, benefits and risks of using chemicals, explanation about EU legislations, etc ...

 

Europe - REACH

 

Guideline on PAHs restriction


In March 2018, the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) published a guideline on Annex XVII Entry 50 on PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in articles supplied to the general public.
 
It aims to help suppliers, importers, distributors, users of articles, as well as the competent authorities of Member States to understand and comply with their obligations under REACH Regulation.
 
Click
here for getting the guideline from the ECHA website.

 

Europe - REACH

 

Recommended restriction on flame retardants


On 5th April 2018, the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) published a Screening report about the use of Flame retardants in articles.
 
The flame retardants under study are:
 

Substance Names (IUPAC) EC Numbers CAS Numbers
 tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) 204-118-5 115-96-8
 tris(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) phosphate (TCPP) 237-158-7 13674-84-5
Reaction mass of tris(2-chloropropyl) phosphate and tris(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) phosphate and Phosphoric acid, bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) 2-chloropropyl ester and Phosphoric acid, 2-chloro-1-methylethyl bis(2-chloropropyl) ester (TCPP) (-) (-)
 tris[2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl)ethyl] phosphate (TDCP) 237-159-2 13674-87-8

 
Since the screening assessment identified a risk for children from exposure to TCEP, TCPP and TDCP in flexible polyurethane (PUR) foams in childcare articles and residential upholstered furniture, ECHA recommends an Annex XV restriction dossier is prepared.
 
Click
here for getting the Screening report – “An assessment of whether the use of TCEP, TCPP and TDCP in articles should be restricted”

Europe - REACH

 

Microplastics in our daily lives: A growing concern

Microplastics are very small particles of plastic material (typically smaller than 5mm). They can be unintentionally formed through the wear and they can also be deliberately manufactured and intentionally added to products for a specific purpose, such as exfoliating beads in facial or body scrubs. Once released to the environment, they may be accumulated by animals, including fish and shellfish and, consequently, ingested as food by consumers.

Due to growing concern for the environment and human health, several EU Member States have enacted or proposed national bans on the intentional use of microplastics in certain consumer products.

The ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) has launched a call for collecting evidences and information about the impacts of microplastics in order to evaluate a possible restriction of microplastics in any kind of products. The call for evidence is open until 11 May 2018.

Click
here to access the call for evidence in ECHA website.

 

Europe - REACH

 

Recent additional updates regarding REACH


Below table includes a summary of the main recent updates (non-exhaustive) regarding REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006:
 

Summary of main recent updates
Date Subject Link
19th April 2018 The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union, Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/588 of 18 April 2018 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone
 
New Entry 71 added in Annex XVII: 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)  
Link to Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/588
19th April 2018 The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union,  Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/589 of 18 April 2018 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards methanol
 
New Entry 69 added in Annex XVII: Methanol 
Link to Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/589
28th March 2018 The European Commission notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) the Draft Commission Regulation amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) (and its accompanying annex) Link to Notification Detail
21st  March 2018 The Netherlands, in cooperation with ECHA, have updated their intention to restrict the placing on the market of plastic, rubber and other granules containing PAHs above a set concentration limit. The intention covers uses as infill material on synthetic turf pitches or as loose granules or mulch on playgrounds and sport applications Click here for the Registry of restriction intentions
 

 

Europe - REACH

 

Draft amendment commission regulation for nanomaterials

On 26th April 2018, the Draft Commission Regulation amending several Annexes to REACH was voted in the REACH Committee.

The aim of these amendments is to provide more information about the characteristics of nanomaterials, how they are used, how to handle them safely, what risks they potentially pose to health and the environment and how these risks are controlled.

The Draft Commission Regulation is now subject to scrutiny by the Parliament and Council for a period of three months before being adopted by the Commission.

The ECHA recommends familiarising with the amendments and assessing what action needs to be taken to comply with them.
 
Click
here to access the ECHA website.

 

Europe - CLP

 

Product categorisation system


The  European Poison Centres’ website provides  information on the European  product categorisation system (EuPCS) for mixtures within the scope of article 45 of CLP regulation.
 
The EuPCS describes ‘the intended use of a mixture’ for which a submission has to be made according to Article 45 and Annex VIII to the CLP Regulation. It covers mixtures classified as hazardous based on their health effects or physical properties.
 
This information will be necessary to do the notification to Poison Centres in 2020 (for consumer uses).
 
Click 
here to access the European Poison Centres website.

 

Europe - CLP

 

Recent updates regarding CLP


Below table includes a summary of the main recent updates (non-exhaustive) regarding CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008:
 

Summary of main recent updates
Date Subject Link
April  2018 Intention to harmonise the classification and labelling for:
  • divanadium pentaoxide (EC 215-239-8, CAS 1314-62-1).
  • exo-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl acrylate (EC 227-561-6, CAS 5888-33-5);
  • tolclofos-methyl (ISO); O-(2,6-dichloro-p-tolyl) O,O-dimethyl thiophosphate (EC 260-515-3, CAS 57018-04-9).
  • flutolanil (ISO); N-[3-(propan-2-yloxy)phenyl]-2-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide; α,α,α-trifluoro-3′-isopropoxy-o-toluanilide (EC -, CAS number 66332-96-5).
 
Proposals to harmonise the classification and labelling for:
  • trichlorosilane (EC 233-042-5, CAS 10025-78-2);
  • 66'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-methylenedi-p-cresol (EC 204-327-1, CAS 119-47-1).
  •  pendimethalin (ISO); N-(1-ethylpropyl)-2,6-dinitro-3.4-xylidene (EC 254-938-2, CAS 40487-42-1);
  • tetrakis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-m-phenylene biphosphate (EC 432-770-2, CAS 139189-30-3).
 
Click here for the Registry of CLH intentions until outcome
April  2018 Harmonised classification and labelling proposals in public consultation:
 
  • 1,4-dioxane (EC 204-661-8; CAS 123-91-1) - An industrial chemical mainly used as a solvent in the manufacture of other chemicals and as a stabilizer in the transport of halogenated hydrocarbons.
  • 5-chloro-2-methoxy-4-methyl-3-pyridyl)(4,5,6-trimethoxy-o-tolyl)methanone (Pyriofenone) (EC 692-456-8; CAS 688046-61-9) - An active substance used in plant protection products as a fungicide.
  • N-methoxy-N-[1-methyl-2-(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)-ethyl]-3-(difluoromethyl)-1-methylpyrazole-4-carboxamide; pydiflumetofen (EC: -, CAS: 1228284-64-7) - An active substance used in plant protection products as a fungicide.
  • Flumioxazin (ISO); N-(7-fluoro-3,4-dihydro-3-oxo-4-prop-2-ynyl-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)cyclohex-1-ene-1,2-dicarboximide (CAS 103361-09-7) - An active substance used in plant protection products as an herbicide.
 
The deadline for comments is 8 June 2018.
 
Click here to check Harmonised classification and labelling public consultations

 

Europe - REACH & CLP

 

RAC and SEAC opinions


On 16th march 2018 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published the Annex to news release on the fourteen adopted proposals for harmonised classification and labelling by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and adopts two final opinions on restriction proposals by the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC).

Below a table summary:
 

Annex to a news release
RAC adopted and SEAC agreed on one restriction proposal Lead and its compounds in shot
SEAC adopted two restriction proposals. Diisocyanates
Lead in PVC
RAC agreed on seven and SEAC on five draft opinions on six applications for authorisation. For authorisation on uses of chromium (VI) substances.
RAC adopted fourteen opinions on harmonised classification and labelling. Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxilane; [D4]
Branched hexatriacontane
2-methoxyethyl acrylate
Diisooctyl phthalate
Imiprothrin (ISO)
Silicon carbide fibres (diameter <3 μm, length > 5 μm and aspect ratio ≥ 3:1)
Pymetrozine (ISO)
Margosa, ext. [cold-pressed oil of Azadirachta indica seeds without shells extracted with super-critical carbon dioxide]
Ipconazole (ISO)
Ethofumesate (ISO) (±)-2-ethoxy-2,3-dihydro-3,3-dimethylbenzofuran-5-yl me-thanesulfonate
L-(+)-lactic acid; (2S)-2-hydroxypropanoic acid
1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-C8-10-branched alkylesters, C9-rich; [1] di-“isononyl” phthalate; [2] (DINP)
(2RS)-2-[4-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propan-2-ol; mefentrifluconazole
MCPA-thioethyl
RAC adopted three scientific evaluations on occupational exposure limits on Nickel and its compounds
Benzene
Acrylonitrile

 
Click
here for getting the Annex to a news release by European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

 

Europe - POPs

 

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) Initiative

On 22nd March 2018, the European Commission published  a “Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Persistent Organic Pollutants (recast)”
 
Stakeholders can send their comments about this initiative until 17thMay 2018.
 
Click 
here to access this initiative with reference COM(2018)144

 

Europe - RoHS

 

New draft amendments for RoHS



The European Commission has recently published the following draft amendments to Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) as below:
 

Reference Title
C(2018)1079 COMMISSION DELEGATED DIRECTIVE (EU) .../… amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for certain electrical and electronic components containing lead in glass or ceramic
C(2018)1080 COMMISSION DELEGATED DIRECTIVE (EU) .../… amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for lead in solders for the soldering to machine through hole discoidal and planar array ceramic multilayer capacitors
C(2018)1081 COMMISSION DELEGATED DIRECTIVE (EU) .../… amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for lead in cermet-based trimmer potentiometer elements

 

US

 

Labelling of methylene chloride in household products

On 10th April 2018, the Consumer Product Safety Commission notified the World Trade Organization the supplemental Guidance about Labelling of Certain Household Products Containing Methylene Chloride.
 
The aim of this guidance is to address hazards from inhaling methylene chloride vapors by the use of proper labelling.
 
Click
here for getting the draft notification with reference: G/TBT/N/USA/1357
Click
here for getting the publication in the Federal Register

 

US - Massachusetts

 

New requirements for flame retardants



Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health has reported Bill S.1175 favorably (“An Act to protect children and families from harmful flame retardants”).  This act would ban the manufacture or sale of bedding, carpeting, residential upholstered furniture, window treatment and products “marketed for use by children 12 years of age or under” that contain more than 1,000 ppm of flame retardants, by weight.
 
Following the flame retardants list:

 
Chemical Name CAS Number
Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCPP) 13674–87–8
Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP) 115–1496–8
Antimony trioxide 1309–64–4
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) 25637–99–4
Bis(2-Ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6- tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) 26040–51–7
2-EthylhexYl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) 183658– 27–7
Chlorinated paraffins 85535–84–8
Tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) 13674–84–5
PentaBDE 32534-81-9
OctaBDE 32536-52-0
Any other chemical flame retardants specified by the department pursuant to subsection (C) of  SB1175  

 
Click
here for getting the Bill S.1175 from the 190th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.