REACH is a new European Union regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals. It came into force on 1st June 2007 and replaces a number of European Directives and Regulations with a single system.
REACH applies to anyone manufacturing or importing chemical substances into Europe.
REACH has several aims:
- To provide a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the use of chemicals.
- To make the people who place chemicals on the market (manufacturers and importers responsible for understanding and managing the risks associated with their use.)
- To allow the free movement of substances on the EU market.
- To enhance innovation in and the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry.
- To promote the use of alternative methods for the assessment of the hazardous properties of substances e.g. quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) and read across.
The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) has formally included 15 substances identified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) in the candidate list of authorization and the 15 SVHC list has been published on ECHA website (http://echa.europa.eu) on 28 October 2008. The list of these 15 SVHC and possible applications are shown below:
| CAS No. | EC No. | Substance | Possible Applications |
| 101-77-9 | 202-974-4 4,4 | Diaminodiphenyl-methane | Curing agent for epoxy resin in PCB, preparation of PU, azo dyes in garments |
| 81-15-2 | 201-329-4 | 5-tert-butyl-2,4,6-trinitro-m-xylene (musk xylene) | Cosmetics and soap perfumes |
| 85535-84-8 | 287-476-5 | Alkanes, C10-13 chloro (short chain chlorinated paraffins) | Leather coating, plasticizer in PVC and chlorinated rubber, flame retardant in plastic & textiles |
| 120-12-7 | 204-371-1 | Anthracene | Source of dyestuff |
| 1303-28-2 | 215-116-9 | Diarsenic pentaoxide | Insecticides, weed killer, wood preservatives, coloured glass, dyeing and printing |
| 1327-53-3 | 215-481-4 | Diarsenic trioxide | Weed killers, timber preservatives, manufacture of special glass |
| 117-81-7 | 204-211-0 | Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) | Plasticizer for resin, PVC, blister |
| 56-35-9 | 200-268-0 | Bis(tributyltin)oxide | Pesticide, fungicide in paint |
| 85-68-7 | 201-622-7 | Butyl benzyl phthalate | Plasticizer for resin, PVC, acrylics |
| 7646-79-9 | 231-589-4 | Cobalt dichloride | Moisture indicator in silica gel, absorbent |
| 84-74-2 | 201-557-4 | Dibutyl phthalate | Plasticizer, in adhesives and paper coatings; insect repellent for textiles |
| 25637-99-4 and 3194-55-6 (134237-51-7, 134237-50-6, 134237-52-8) |
247-148-4 221-695-9 |
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) and all major diastereoisomers identified ( -HBCDD, -HBCDD, -HBCDD) |
Flame retardant used in HIPS and textiles |
| 7784-40-9 | 232-064-2 | Lead hydrogen arsenate | Insectides |
| 7789-12-0 10588-01-9 |
234-190-3 | Sodium dichromate | Chrome-tanning of leather, corrosion inhibitor in paints, mordant in textile dyeing process |
| 15606-95-8 | 427-700-2 | Triethyl arsenate | Intermediates for semi- conductor |
The placement on the candidate list triggers new duties for producers, importers and suppliers of articles, preparations and substances with immediate effect.
Suppliers of articles are required to provide to the customers and consumers available information on the safe use of the articles containing substances in the "Candidate List" exceeding 0.1%. Besides, producers and importers of articles that contain these substances will, under certain conditions, have an obligation to notify the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) starting from 1 December 2011.
Suppliers of substances on the Candidate List have to provide their customers with a safety data sheet (SDS).
Suppliers of preparations not classified as dangerous according to Directive 1999/45/EC have to provide the recipients, at their request, with a SDS if the preparations contain at least one substance on the Candidate List and its individual concentration is at least 0.1% (w/w) for non gaseous preparations and at least 0.2% by volume for gaseous preparations.
The possible applications of these SVHC indicate that the substances may be found in most commercial products of many industries, such as toys, furniture, textiles, garments and footwear, cosmetics, and electrical and electronics. While some of these substances are banned in certain industries, they may still be used in packaging materials which are considered articles within the scope of REACH. A good example includes the use of phthalates in PVC. The three listed phthalates were banned in toys and children articles, but are still commonly used in print of garments, wires of electrical and electronic products, and in plastic bags and blisters of packaging.
SVHC Screening and Quantitative Tests
To help identify the presence of SVHC in both preparations and articles, Intertek has developed methods in screening and verifying components for high risk chemicals, including the use of XRF, ICP and GC-MS techniques. The SVHC screening test provides a cost-effective alternative to demonstrating that products are in compliance with the SVHC Supply Chain Communication requirements. When necessary the quantitative test on SVHC may also be performed to ascertain the accurate concentration of SVHC in products.