EU Adds Chemicals To High Concern List

The European Union last week deemed 54 chemicals as substances of very high concern. The compounds then were placed on a list of candidates for outright ban or tight regulation under the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemical substances law. Those added to the list include 4-nonylphenol, tetraethyl lead, n-propyl bromide, diisopentyl phthalate, and the flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether. The chemicals are listed because the EU determined they are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction; persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic; very persistent and very bioaccumulative; or pose equivalent concerns. This new group of substances includes the first selected because scientific evidence indicates they could cause serious health effects in humans, such as severe asthma. Companies must notify the European Chemicals Agency if they make or import articles that contain any one of the 54 chemicals in collective quantities of more than 1 metric ton per year and the substance is present in the articles at more than 0.1% by weight. The newly listed chemicals are posted at http://bit.ly/U9SS1q.