HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS IN PRODUCTS
Enviropass offers products assessment, consultation, and training services regarding the management of chemicals in products:
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What are these Hazardous Substances, and what Products are Affected?
Chemicals are everywhere. There are natural occurrences, but also synthetic substances, from our everyday products to the most complex professional devices.
Because of their properties, chemicals enable the design, development, and sale of the most astonishing technologies. These chemicals are plasticizers, hardeners, stabilizers, curing agents, flame retardants, pigments, lubricants, solvents, diluents, catalysts, etc.
Despite their valuable intrinsic benefits, scientists know or suspect that some of these substances are hazardous to the environment and human health. Hence public awareness and chemical regulations in various products.
Examples of Hazardous Chemical Dangers
Here are some of the common harmful chemicals with their associated hazards:
| Confirmed of suspected Hazard | Substance Name | Use |
| Carcinogen | Cadmium carbonate | Fongicides |
| Mutagenic | Potassium dichromate | Pigments |
| Reprotoxic | Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) | Plasticizer |
| Persistent and bioaccumulative | Alkanes, C10-13, chloro (Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins, SCCPs) | Flame retardant in rubber and plastics |
| Endocrine disruptor | Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) | Plasticizer |
Regulations to Control Hazardous Chemicals in Products
As a result, various governmental agencies worldwide have been developing a set of regulations to prohibit, restrict, and monitor the use of certain hazardous substances in some products or applications:
RoHS
This acronym stands for Restriction of the Use Of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
REACH, SVHC, and the SCIP Database
The REACH regulation includes an obligation to declare Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). In the European Union, producers must report the SVHCs contained in their products via the SCIP database. The REACH Annex XVII has also listed certain prohibited or restricted substances.
Persistent Organic Pollutants – Halogens
The POP regulation restricts the use of brominated and chlorinated halogen chemicals.
TSCA Compliance in Articles
Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the US Environmental Protection Agency restricts the import and the use of certain hazardous chemicals in products. In-scope chemicals include persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) substances, such as the PIP (3:1) plasticizer. TSCA also rules per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) like PFOA, which are present in various products, like coating applications in electronics.
Proposition 65 and Chemical Label
Prop. 65 warnings apply to products introduced into the Californian market that contain chemical(s) know to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm.
Biocides
Biocidal products regulation (BPR) must be registered and labeled accordingly.
Medical Devices
The medical devices regulation (MDR) also includes restrictions on certain substances and labeling obligations.
End of Life Vehicles
Similar to the RoHS regulation, the ELV Directive specifically applies to automotive products.
IMDS and GADSL
Safety Data Sheets
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must contain specific information about chemicals, including:
- hazard identification;
- composition/information ingredients;
- first aid measures;
- fire-fighting measures;
- accidental release measures;
- handling and storage precautions;
- exposure controls/personal protection equipment;
- physical and chemical properties;
- stability and reactivity;
- toxicological information;
- ecological information;
- disposal considerations;
- transport information; and
- regulatory information.
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