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Four hazardous chemicals added to the Candidate List

ECHA/NR/22/01

The Candidate List of substances of very high concern now contains 223 entries for chemicals that can harm people or the environment. Companies are responsible for managing the chemicals safely and providing sufficient information to their customers and consumers.

Helsinki, 17 January 2022 – One of the four substances is used in cosmetics and has been added to the Candidate List as it has hormone-disrupting properties in humans. Two are used, for example, in rubbers, lubricants and sealants, and have been included because they negatively affect fertility. The fourth is used in lubricants and greases and has been added as it is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, and therefore harmful for the environment.

Entries added to the Candidate List on 17 January 2022:

# Substance name EC number CAS number Reason for inclusion Examples of use(s)
1 6,6'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-methylenedi-p-cresol 204-327-1 119-47-1

Toxic for reproduction
(Article 57 c) 

Rubbers, lubricants, adhesives, inks, fuels

2 tris(2-methoxyethoxy)vinylsilane 213-934-0 1067-53-4

Toxic for reproduction
(Article 57 c) 

Rubbers, plastics, sealants

3 (±)-1,7,7-trimethyl-3-[(4-methylphenyl)methylene]bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one covering any of the individual isomers and/or combinations thereof (4-MBC) - - Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57 f - human health) Cosmetics
4 S-(tricyclo(5.2.1.02,6)deca-3-en-8(or 9)-yl O-(isopropyl or isobutyl or 2-ethylhexyl) O-(isopropyl or isobutyl or 2-ethylhexyl) phosphorodithioate 401-850-9 255881-94-8 PBT (Article 57 d) Lubricants, greases


Note: an earlier group entry on the Candidate List has been changed. The group entry “Nonadecafluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and its sodium and ammonium salts” previously included two entries: “Decanoic acid, nonadecafluoro-, sodium salt” and “sodium nonadecafluorodecanoate”. These two names describe the same substance and are equivalent, therefore “Decanoic acid, nonadecafluoro-, sodium salt” has been removed from the list.

The Candidate List of substances of very high concern now has 223 entries – some of these cover groups of chemicals so the overall number of impacted chemicals is higher.

These substances may be placed on the Authorisation List in the future. Inclusion on that list means that the use of the substance is prohibited unless a company receives an authorisation to continue its use from the European Commission.

Consequences of the Candidate List

Under the REACH Regulation, companies have legal obligations when their substance is included – either on its own, in mixtures or in articles – in the Candidate List.

Any supplier of articles containing a Candidate List substance above a concentration of 0.1 % (weight by weight) has to give sufficient information to their customers and consumers to allow safe use. Consumers have the right to ask suppliers whether products they buy contain substances of very high concern.

Importers and producers of articles have to notify ECHA if their article contains a Candidate List substance within six months from the date it has been included in the list (17 January 2022). Suppliers of substances on the Candidate List (supplied either on their own or in mixtures) have to provide their customers with a safety data sheet.

They also have to notify ECHA under the Waste Framework Directive if their products contain substances of very high concern in a concentration above 0.1 % (weight by weight). This notification is published in the SCIP database on the Agency’s website.