ECHA

EFPIA and ECHA publish more data to help developing alternative methods to animal tests

A pilot project led by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), and supported by ECHA, has made an updated set of archived data from unpublished chemical tests available on the IUCLID website. The database contains now information about the hazard properties of 94 substances from 517 tests.

Future of our submission systems 

REACH

Consultations for applications for authorisation

We have launched consultations on 14 applications for authorisation covering 15 uses of:

• Chromium trioxide (EC 215-607-8, CAS 1333-82-0): used for etching in electroplating, functional chrome plating, functional chrome plating with decorative character, manufacture of passivated copper foil in Lithium-ion batteries.
• Sodium dichromate (EC 234-190-3, CAS 10588-01-9): used for the sealing after anodizing of aluminium alloys and passivation of metallic coatings of actuation and landing gear system parts for the aviation industry.
• Acids generated from chromium trioxide and their oligomers (EC -, CAS -): used in passivation baths.

Read more about the uses, including the description of the function of the substance, exposure scenarios, possible alternatives identified by the applicants, together with socio-economic information, on our website.

Submit your comments through the webform by 12 July 2023.

Biocides

Guidance on the assessment of risks to bees from the use of biocides: first draft published

We have published the first draft of the guidance for a written consultation with the Member States and accredited stakeholders.

Following the consultation, ECHA’s expert group will review the comments and reply to them. The comments will be further discussed in the BPC Environment Working Group meeting in June 2023.

The European Commission

Call for information on phthalates in medical devices

The Commission's Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) is updating the guidelines on the benefit-risk assessment of phthalates present in certain medical devices. This applies to phthalates, which are carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction or have endocrine-disrupting properties.

Help the committee by sending them relevant information for this work by 17 July 2023.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Three POPs added to Stockholm Convention

The Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention adopted a global ban on the manufacturing and use of:

• Methoxychlor (pesticide) 
• UV-328 (CAS 25973-55-1) (UV absorber) 
• Dechlorane Plus (polychlorinated flame retardant)

Time-limited exemptions were agreed for specific uses of UV-328 and Dechlorane Plus.

Methoxychlor was proposed by the EU in 2019 for its listing under the Convention.

European Union Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON)

Nanopinion: Fishing for novel interactions between nanomaterials and the immune system

In our latest guest column, Professor Bengt Fadeel writes about his experiments with zebrafish and discoveries about the gut microbiome and 2D materials.

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