This article has been translated with machine translation.
As of May 9, 2022, we have a new restriction list in iChemistry: Endocrine disruptors (ED) / Potential ED. The list is provided as standard for all customers operating in the EU.
Products that end up on this list are endocrine disruting or suspected of being endocrine disrupting.
We match products that either are classified with one of these hazard statements: EUH380, EUH381, EUH430, EUH431 (read more about new hazard classes here), or has a certain CAS/EC number in the products SDS's section 3.
We collect CAS/EC numbers from various sources to be as comprehensive as possible. One of the sources are ECHA, and from their official list we include substances that are still undergoing an ES assessment, just to be on the safe side.
The reason we include potentially endocrine disrupting substances is because the area of endocrine disrupting substances is complex, and there is still quite little known about what affects in what ways. All businesses should have their own plan for handling endocrine disrupting substances, and we believe it's better to flag a substance too much than one too little. Our recommendation for working with the list is to check which substance is causing the match for a product, check the concentration level of that substance, and look it up on, for example, ECHA's website to learn more about it. This will give you a better understanding of how hazardous the product is and you can assess whether you need to adjust the risk assessment or substitute the product. After reviewing a product on the list, we recommend adding a comment to remember the assessment you've made.
If a product contains an endocrine disruptive substance, try to substitute the product if possible. Endocrine disruptors can be defined as SVHCs (substances of very high concern). SVHC substances first end up on the candidate list, then they can also be included on the Authorisation list, Annex XIV to the REACH Regulation.
For chemical products containing endocrine disruptors (substances on the candidate list), a permit is required in some cases for the product to be handled. By substituting, you therefore do not have to worry about a complicated and costly permit process. There are also requirements that information on endocrine disruptors must be stated in safety data sheets.
"We use products that match the list in iChemistry - what to do?"
If you see that you have products inventoried in iChemistry that match the list of endocrine disruptors, you can start by examining which substance is causing the matching and in what concentration that substance is in the product.
To do this, go to the product's iSafe> Restriction and Prohibition Lists and see the substance name under Reason. Then click on Show composition (or section 3 in the SDS) to see the concentration level for that substance. This way you see if the substance that causes the matching is present in high concentrations in your chemical product or not.
Now that you have identified the product, the substance and the concentration of the substance, you can decide on the following:
- Substitution
What do we use the product for, and do we need a chemical product for this purpose or can we adapt our working method so that the need for a chemical product is reduced? If a chemical product is needed; Are there replacement products with less risk of exposure to endocrine disruptors?
- Adjust your risk assessment
How can we reduce the risk of harmful exposure? How is the product applied and handled? Can we reduce the amount of product handled per occasion? What protective equipment is required? Review a current risk assessment and redo it if necessary.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding
If you have colleagues / employees who are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is extra important to adapt the risk assessment to these people so that they are not exposed to endocrine disruptors.
- Knowledge
Make sure that those who handle endocrine disruptors know that the product is endocrine disrupting during exposure and make sure they have the knowledge and conditions they need to protect themselves against exposure.
While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, this translation may not be entirely error-free. Please consider this when interpreting the information.
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