ECHA Adds 5 New Substances to REACH’s SVHC List

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) oversees the European Union (EU) regulation REACH. REACH is designed to enhance protections for human health and the environment by helping establish a procedure for collecting and assessing information on hazardous substances used by businesses. REACH regulations apply to all chemical substances, not just industrial, and its requirements affect most companies who do business in the EU. 

Substances listed in REACH are either regulated under the Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) list or, if the risks those substances pose are too great, added to the restricted list. The ECHA evaluates new substances for the SVHC list every six months. 

In January 2024, the ECHA submitted five new substances to the SVHC list. This brings the SVHC list up from 235 to 240 substances. To remain compliant, manufacturers and importers must declare SVHC content above the limit of 0.1% weight by weight in all articles, which includes the SCIP (Substances of Concern In articles or complex objects (Products)) notifications.

The complete SVHC list at the ECHA website can be found here.  

Here are the five new substances, along with the reason for inclusion on the SVHC list as well as their common uses: 

Which components will be affected by this new REACH expansion?

Analysis by Z2Data of parts within its database that contain full materials disclosures found that over 1,200 parts contain at least one of the five new substances of very high concern. A majority of the parts identified were:

1. Transient voltage suppressors
2. Rectifiers

The presence of these substances are likely attributed to the coatings that prevent premature voltage arcing and provide flame retardant properties. 

Analysis also found that very few of the parts contained only one of the five new substances. In fact, 99% of the parts affected by this new REACH update contain more than one of the five listed substances. In particular, two substances account for 99% of all affected parts. These are:

1. The oligomerization and alkylation reaction products of CAS # 700-960-7 (otherwise known as OAPP), which is typically used in adhesives, sealants, coatings, putty, plaster, clay, inks and some polymers. 
2. The other substance is CAS # 3147-75-9 (221-573-5), which is typically used in UV inks as well in the application of coatings and inks.

How can you get compliant with the new REACH regulations?

One of the biggest challenges with tackling compliance regulations like REACH is understanding what parts of your product are affected by them. While some companies can send you searching in the right direction, Z2Data’s Compliance Manager tool can show you exactly how you’re affected right down to the part level in a matter of seconds. 

How does it do this? Compliance Manager analyzes your BOM against billions of verified data sources in Z2Data’s database to identify which parts of your product are compliant and how critical each non-compliance instance is. With access to data, you can save yourself the time-consuming task of chasing suppliers for answers and instead focus on resolving risks on the spot. 

Get total compliance support with Z2Data’s white-glove services

When it comes to getting your products compliant, Z2Data goes the extra mile. Compliance Manager doesn’t just give you the data–it also provides additional white-glove services including:

1. Assisted supplier outreach: if parts in your BOM require additional outreach to obtain information on their compliance status, Z2Data’s in-house team of experts conducts supplier outreach on your behalf. This includes obtaining information and uploading it into your Compliance Manager dashboard so you see your risk profile instantly.
2. Access to compliance experts: Z2Data’s in-house compliance advisor lets you ask questions to better understand your unique compliance challenges, no matter your industry, product, or market. 

With Z2Data’s Compliance Manager you can achieve increased efficiency and operational excellence in an ever-changing global market.  

Want to see it in action? Schedule a custom demo here to get started.