Proposed Restriction On Chromium In Leather Products

Denmark has submitted a report proposing a restriction on the placing on the market of articles of leather coming into direct and prolonged or repetitive contact with the skin if the leather contains chromium VI (chromium +6) in concentrations above a certain limit. Chromium VI is not intentionally used in the preparation of leather from skins and hides and in the manufacturing of articles of leather, but may be formed during the processing. The presence of chromium VI in tanned leather and articles of tanned leather can be avoided, under properly controlled conditions.

According to the report, chromium VI is known amongst other effects to cause severe allergic contact dermatitis in humans and to be able to elicit dermatitis at very low concentrations. The dossier concludes that extractable chromium VI from shoes and other articles of leather represents a risk for the development of contact allergy to chromium for the consumers and workers.

Surveys of chromium VI in articles of leather in some of the Members States have demonstrated that more than 30% of the tested articles of leather contained chromium VI in concentrations above 3 mg/kg (which is the proposed concentration limit). ECHA has begun the public consultation on the restriction report, which will end on September 16, 2012. However, ECHA encourages interested parties to give their comments by June 1, 2012.

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ECHA Proposes Restrictions On 1,4-dichlorobenzene Products

At the request of the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has submitted a report proposing a restriction on the placing on the market and use of 1,4-dichlorobenzene-based air fresheners and toilet blocks. These products are mainly used to deodorize public and domestic toilets.

1,4-dichlorobenzene has been classified as a category 2 carcinogen and affects the kidneys and respiratory tract. The dossier concludes that where 1,4-dichlorobenzene products are used, domestic users of toilet blocks and air fresheners as well as toilet attendants and cleaners are exposed above safe levels. This means that the risks from this substance in these two groups cannot be adequately controlled. The Annex XV report contains the background and justifications for the proposed restriction. It includes the description of identified risks, information on alternatives, the effectiveness of the restriction in reducing the risks and its costs.

Interested parties can comment on both the restriction proposal and the associated report using the webform on ECHA's website. Comments will be reviewed and taken into account by the ECHA Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC). The final opinions of the two committees on the proposed restriction are scheduled to be available by June 2013. Based on these opinions, the European Commission will take a decision on whether to introduce these restrictions into the REACH Regulation.


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EPA Selects Priority Chemicals For Assessment Under TSCA in 2013-2014

As part of its existing chemicals management program, EPA has listed 83 chemicals as a part of its Work Plan under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Seven of those chemicals were chosen for further risk assessment in 2012, and EPA has identified 18 more of the chemicals for assessment in 2013 and 2014. According to EPA, the chemicals were chosen for a variety of reasons, including specific hazards such as potential carcinogenicity; potential to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic; chemicals found in biomonitoring; or chemicals reported in consumer products.

The chemicals include five chlorinated hydrocarbons, three flame retardants, and four fragrance chemicals. In order to conduct risk assessments on the 18 chemicals, EPA will follow the procedures listed in the TSCA Work Plan Chemicals Methods Document and will use information available from a variety of sources. The Agency will still accept additional relevant information on the chemicals, such as unpublished studies not already available through the existing literature and information on uses and potential exposures. All information should be submitted to EPA on or before August 31.

The 2013 - 2014 Work Plan Chemicals are as follows:

• 1-Bromopropane
• Five chlorinated hydrocarbons: 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,2-Dichloropropane trans-1-2-Dichloroethylene,1,1,2-Trichloroethane
• 4-tert-Octylphenol
• Three flame retardants: Bis(2-Ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), 2-Ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB), Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP)
• Four fragrance chemicals: Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-4-sec-Butyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol, Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- 2,3,5,5-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-, Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-, Ethanone, 1-(1,2,3,4,6,7,8,8a-octahydro- 2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-
• 4-sec-Butyl-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol
• 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenol
• P,p'-Oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide)
• Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4)

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Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Health Assessment For Ammonia

U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) health assessment for ammonia. The draft assessment will be available for public comment for 60 days and will be sent for independent expert peer review. When the assessment is final it will be posted to the IRIS database. IRIS is a publicly available online database that provides high quality science-based human health assessments used to inform the agency’s decisions on protecting public health and the environment.

Ammonia is used in agricultural fertilizers, the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and explosives, water purification, household cleaners, as a refrigerant, and in many industries. Scientific studies show that ammonia can affect the respiratory system. The draft assessment includes an estimate of the amount of ammonia a person can inhale daily throughout a lifetime that is not likely to cause harmful health effects, which is less stringent than the current value for ammonia on IRIS.

The draft IRIS assessment for ammonia represents a milestone for EPA in implementing the April 2011 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recommendations for improving IRIS assessments. The draft assessment uses a new streamlined document structure; includes a template for describing the literature search approach; identifies the strengths and weaknesses of analyzed studies; and describes how EPA applied their guidance, methods, and criteria in developing the assessment.

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Integrated Risk information System Acrylonitrile Assessment

EPA has developed a new schedule for completing the Integrated Risk information System (IRIS) acrylonitrile assessment. The new schedule is:

 

• External Peer Review and Public Availability - 2013/2nd Quarter
• Final Agency Review/ Interagency Science Discussion and Posting Final Assessment - 2014/1st Quarter

 

EPA released its draft IRIS assessment for acrylonitrile for public comment and external peer review in the June 30, 2011, Federal Register. The Agency has decided to make further revisions to the chemical assessment to more fully address scientific issues in the assessment. The revised draft acrylonitrile assessment will be released for public comment and independent expert peer review along with the Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee that is being formed under the auspices of the Science Advisory Board.

 

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Final Report on Alternatives to Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the final report on alternatives to nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) through the Design for the Environment (DfE) Alternatives Assessment Program. NPEs are widely used surfactants with a range of industrial applications and are commonly found in consumer products, such as laundry detergents. When released into the environment, they can be persistent and highly toxic to aquatic organisms. The report identifies eight safer alternatives to NPEs that meet EPA’s criteria for safer surfactants.

The report provides information on the availability of safer alternatives, DfE’s hazard evaluation method for surfactants, and the progress being made in adopting safer surfactants. Using rigorous hazard-based criteria, EPA evaluated hundreds of chemicals for their biodegradability and their potential effects to aquatic organisms.

DfE’s Alternatives Assessment Program helps industries choose safer chemicals and offers a basis for informed decision-making by providing a detailed comparison of the potential human health and environmental effects of chemical alternatives. To date, the DfE program has labeled more than 2,700 safer products, including detergents that contain only safer surfactants and other chemicals. All companies participating in the DfE Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative have eliminated NPEs from their product lines to meet DfE criteria.

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NAS Review of Integrated Risk Information System

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will conduct a comprehensive review of the agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program’s assessment development process. In April 2011, NAS recommended several ways to improve the development of IRIS assessments. EPA is implementing these recommendations using a phased approach. Future draft IRIS assessments released for public comment and peer review will reflect implementing NAS recommendations.

NAS will conduct a review of the IRIS assessment development process and the changes that are currently being made or planned by EPA in response to NAS’ April 2011 recommendations. NAS will also review current methods for weight of evidence analyses and recommend approaches for weighing scientific evidence for chemical hazard identification.

EPA’s IRIS program provides health profiles of chemicals to which the public may be exposed from releases to air, water, and land and through the use and disposal of chemicals. IRIS assessments inform EPA rulemakings, and the release of final IRIS assessments is consistent with EPA efforts to improve health and protect the environment.

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