In an article published on July 10, 2018, by regulatory news provider Chemical Watch, editor Leigh Stringer reported that the Committee of PET Manufacturers in Europe (CPME) will “join a campaign to generate exposure information on selected REACH registered antimony substances.” The German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) is currently assessing “the potential carcinogenicity of five antimony compounds,” which “could result in the reclassification of one or more of them,” Stringer further informed. Therefore, the International Antimony Association (i2a) will launch a data gathering campaign in 2019. The campaign will focus on data for i) “inhalable and respirable size particles of occupational aerosols,” ii) “several workplaces,” iii) “operational conditions,” and iv) “each specific use of the antimony substances,” Stringer listed.
Antimony is used as a catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, Stringer explained. PET is used to make plastic drinking bottles, fibers, and films. CPME urges other actors in the supply chain to join the data campaign to ensure the safe use of antimony “for the sake of [the sectors’] manufacturing staff and consumers,” Stringer noted.
In January 2018, U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded that the substance antimony trioxide can be considered an anticipated human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence from animal studies (FPF reported). This has “raised questions on whether current exposure limits are adequately protecting health and if other measures should be adopted to safeguard workers handling antimony substances,” Stringer wrote.
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Leigh Stringer (July 10, 2018). “European PET group to join antimony data gathering effort.” Chemical Watch
Leigh Stringer (May 17, 2018). “Antimony industry to start data gathering effort in 2019.” Chemical Watch
