In an article published on December 19, 2016 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that its Member State Committee (MSC) has unanimously agreed on the identification of four substances of very high concern (SVHCs): 1) bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) due to its reprotoxic properties (FPF reported), 2) nonadecafluorodecanoic acid (PFDA, CAS 335-76-2) and its sodium and ammonium salts due to their reprotoxic and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) properties, 3) 4-heptylphenol, branched and linear (4-HPbl, CAS 1987-50-4, 72624-02-3) due to their endocrine disrupting properties for the environment, and 4) 4-tert-pentylphenol (PTAP, CAS 80-46-6) also due to its endocrine disrupting properties for the environment. These substances will be added to the Candidate List in January 2017.
For two other substances no unanimous agreement was found: 4-Tert-butylphenol (PTBP, CAS 98-54-4) as an endocrine disruptor and benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride (trimellitic anhydride, TMA, CAS 552-30-7) as a respiratory sensitizer. The majority of the MSC concluded that there is sufficient evidence for identification of these two substances as SVHCs; however, a minority of members had different views. The MSC opinions will now be submitted to the European Commission, who “has three months to prepare draft proposals on their identification as SVHCs and take a final decision in its committee procedure.”
From September 6 to October 21, 2016 ECHA held a public consultation on the proposals to classify the six mentioned substances as SVHCs (FPF reported). BPA and PTBP are included as monomers in the Union List of substances authorized for use in plastic FCMs (Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 10/2011) and listed in the FACET inventory of food contact materials (FCMs), as well as in the ESCO working group list of non-plastic FCMs.
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ECHA (December 19, 2016). “Member State Committee issues four SVHC agreements and two opinions.”
Chemical Watch (December 20, 2016). “BPA added to REACH candidate list.“
