EU - Four New Substances Added to Candidate List

​The Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) for authorization now contains 205 substances.

ECHA has added three new substances to the Candidate List due to their toxicity to reproduction and a fourth due to a combination of other properties of concern. This latter causes probable serious effects to human health and the environment, giving rise to an equivalent level of concern to carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR), persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) and very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) substances.

The decision to include perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) and its salts, was taken with the involvement of the Member State Committee (MSC).

Substances included in the Candidate List for authorization on January 16, 2020, and their SVHC properties:

1. Diisohexyl phthalate
(EC No. 276-090-2, CAS No. 71850-09-4​)
Reason for inclusion: Toxic for reproduction (Article 57(c))
Examples of uses: Not registered under REACH

2. 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-4'-morpholinobutyrophenone
(EC No. 404-360-3, CAS No. 119313-12-1​)​
Reason for inclusion: Toxic for reproduction (Article 57(c))
Examples of uses: Used in polymer production

3. 2-methyl-1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-morpholinopropan-1-one
(EC No. 400-600-6, CAS No. 71868-10-5​)​
Reason for inclusion: Toxic for reproduction (Article 57(c))
Examples of uses: Used in polymer production

4. Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) and its salts (EC No. --, CAS No. --)​
Reason for inclusion:
- Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to the environment (Article 57(f) - environment)
- Equivalent level of concern having probable serious effects to the human health (Article 57(f) - human health)
Examples of uses: Used as a catalyst / additive / reactant in polymer manufacture and in chemical synthesis. It is also used as a flame retardant in polycarbonate (for electronic equipment).

Background

The Candidate List is a list of substances that may have serious effects on human health or the environment. Substances on the Candidate List are also known as substances of very high concern and are candidates for eventual inclusion in the Authorization List. Once they are on the Authorization List, industry will need to apply for permission to continue using the substance after the sunset date.

Companies may have legal obligations resulting from the inclusion of the substance in the Candidate List. These obligations may apply to the listed substance on its own, in mixtures or in articles. In particular, any supplier of articles containing a Candidate List substance above a concentration of 0.1 % (weight by weight) has communication obligations towards customers down the supply chain and to consumers.
In addition, importers and producers of articles containing the substance have six months from the date of its inclusion in the Candidate List (January 16, 2020) to notify ECHA. Information on these obligations and related tools are available on ECHA’s website.​