EU to amend PAHs Entry under REACH Annex XVII

Recently, EU Commission adopted a draft to amend PAHs Entry under REACH Annex XVII to enlarge the scope of PAHs entry to consumer products. In accordance with this amendment, PAHs limits to any accessible rubber or plastic component of articles that come into direct and prolonged contact with human skin or the oral cavity under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use shall not exceed 1 mg/kg, or not the articles shall be placed on the market of EU for general public.

This amendment may be published on the OJ, and will be applicable two years after the entry into force.

The following paragraphs 5, 6, 7are added:

5. Articles shall not be placed on the market for supply to the general public, if any of their rubber or plastic components that come into direct and prolonged contact with the human skin or the oral cavity, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, contain more than 1 mg/kg (0,0001 % by weight of this component) of any of the listed PAHs.

Such articles include:
- toys including activity toys such as swings and childcare articles
- sport equipment such as bicycles, golf clubs, racquets
- house-hold utensils, trolleys, walking frames
- tools for domestic use
- clothing, footwear, gloves and sportswear
- watch-straps, wrist-bands, masks, head-bands

6. Paragraph 5 shall not apply to articles placed on the market before [2 years after date of entry into force].

7. By [insert date - 6 years after the date of entry into force of this Regulation], the Commission shall review the limit value in paragraph 5 in the light of new scientific information, including migration of PAHs from the articles referred to therein, and the availability of alternatives and, if appropriate, modify that paragraph accordingly.

PAHs listed are showed below:
- Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (CAS No 50-32-8);
- Benzo[e]pyrene (BeP) (CAS No 192-97-2);
- Benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) (CAS No 56-55-3);
- Chrysene (CHR) (CAS No 218-01-9);
- Benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbFA) (CAS No 205-99-2);
- Benzo[j]fluoranthene (BjFA) (CAS No 205-82-3);
- Benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkFA) (CAS No 207-08-9) and;
- Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBAhA) (CAS No 53-70-3).