New Substances on the Candidate list during January 2017

The Swedish Chemicals Agency discloses that four new substances of very high concern will be added to EUs Candidates List. Following a proposal by Sweden, the highly fluorinated substance PFDA has been included on the list. Bisphenol A is also among the new substances that will be added to the candidate list.

The European Chemicals Agency ECHA Member State Committee has identified four additional chemical substances of very high concern. The substances will be added to the EU’s so-called candidate list during the month of January. Chemical substances included on the candidate list are subject to specific requirements for information and notification under the EU chemicals legislation REACH. They may also later be subject to license. The four substances now included in the list are:

• Bisphenol A (4,4-isopropylidenediphenol). Following a proposal from France the substance has been added to the list due to its reproductive toxicity properties.
•  The highly fluorinated substance PFDA (perfluorodecanoic acid) and its sodium- and ammonium salts. Sweden proposed the inclusion of PFDA on the candidates list because it is persistent in the environment, bio accumulative and toxic to reproduction.
•  4-HPBLs (4-heptyl phenol) due to its endocrine disrupting properties in the environment. The proposal to add the substance to the list has been put forward by Austria.
•  PTAP (4-tert-pentylfenol) as proposed by Germany, due to endocrine-disrupting properties in the environment.

The Member State Committee voted unanimously for the inclusion of the four substances. The substances will be added to the candidate list during January 2017.