The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has updated its Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC) by adding eight new chemicals, increasing the total to 219 entries. These substances are commonly used in consumer products, including cosmetics, textiles, and plastics, as well as in industrial applications like solvents, flame retardants, and lubricant production.
The newly listed chemicals exhibit hazardous properties such as reproductive toxicity, carcinogenicity, respiratory sensitisation, and endocrine disruption. Some are also classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT), or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB), posing significant environmental risks.
The new entries include:
- 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde and its individual stereoisomers
- Orthoboric acid, sodium salt
- 2,2-bis(bromomethyl)propane1,3-diol (BMP); 2,2-dimethylpropan-1-ol, tribromo derivative/3-bromo-2,2-bis(bromomethyl)-1-propanol (TBNPA); 2,3-dibromo-1-propanol (2,3-DBPA)
- Glutaral
- Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCP); (UVCB substances consisting of more than or equal to 80% linear chloroalkanes with carbon chain lengths within the range from C14 to C17)
- Phenol, alkylation products (mainly in para position) with C12-rich branched alkyl chains from oligomerisation, covering any individual isomers and/ or combinations thereof (PDDP)
- 1,4-dioxane
- 4,4'-(1-methylpropylidene)bisphenol
