This episode gives you the highlights from the June 2022 meeting of our Biocidal Products Committee. Our guest again is the Chair of the Committee, Erik van de Plassche. The Biocidal Products Committee prepares scientific opinions for the European Commission on biocidal active substances and on EU-wide authorisations of biocidal products.   In June 2022, the Committee adopted a record number of opinions, altogether nine opinions on Union Authorisations and five concerning active substance...

Katja vom Hofe, the Chair of the Enforcement Forum joins us. She is just out of the Forum’s June meeting, and will be sharing the highlights. We talk about the Forum's upcoming and on-going enforcement projects, including preliminary results of an EU-wide project on REACH authorisation (REF-9) where inspectors conducted more than 450 inspections to control REACH authorisation requirements for substances of very high concern. Also in this episode, an update on the follow-up of a Forum...

Bisphenols are widely used and many are also known endocrine disruptors, which means that they can affect the hormonal systems of people and animals. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is probably the most known chemical in this group. It has been used since the 1960s in many consumer goods like re-usable plastic tableware, plastic bottles, CDs and sports equipment, such as helmets. Due to its harmful properties, BPA’s use has already been limited. But it’s not a secret that when authorities have regulated...

Tim Bowmer and Maria Ottati, Chairs of our committees for risk assessment and socio-economic analysis join us for this episode to give us the highlights from their June meetings. We talk about two opinions on harmonised classification and labelling adopted by the Risk Assessment Committee: glyphosate, a common herbicide used in agriculture and horticulture to combat weeds and silver, used as an antimicrobial in biocidal products like disinfectants and preservatives. Glyphosate has had a lot...

Martin Hojsík, a Slovak activist, environmental expert and Member of the European Parliament joins us for this episode. He is a Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and Vice-Chair of the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport. He is the European Chemicals Agency’s so-called 'liaison MEP', the one following the agency's work in the environment committee and overall in the European Parliament. In the European Parliament, his...

This episode gives you the highlights from the first 2022 meetings of the Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC). We interviewed the Chairs of the two committees, Tim Bowmer (RAC) and Maria Ottati (SEAC). Both Committees are made up of scientists nominated by EU Member States but appointed by the management Board of ECHA in their personal capacity and both have observers from different EU organisations representing civil society, academia and industry. They...

This episode covers the highlights from the first Biocidal Products Committee meeting in 2022, with Erik van de Plassche, Chair of ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee. The Biocidal Products Committee prepares scientific opinions for the European Commission on biocidal active substances and on EU-wide authorisations of biocidal products. The Commission takes the final decisions based on the opinions they receive from the Biocidal Products Committee. You will get an overview on active...

In this episode, we speak with Peter van der Zandt, ECHA’s Risk Management Director about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS in short.  These so-called ‘forever chemicals’ are a family of over 4 000 synthetic chemicals that have been and continue to be widely used by society. The problem though is that their use has resulted in worldwide environmental pollution and human exposure. They are called forever chemicals because they resist degradation, and some can be easily transported in...

When companies apply to get their biocidal active substances approved or have their biocidal products authorised across the whole EU, individual EU member states check and evaluate the applications.  Then, it is the Biocidal Products Committee that forms an opinion on the evaluation. These opinions are sent to the European Commission which takes the final decision on whether or not to approve the substance for biocidal use.  Listen to Erik van de Plassche, Chair of the Biocidal Products...

This episode covers an EU-wide project where national authorities inspected nearly 6 000 products sold online in the EU and EEA. The project looked at different webshops and online marketplaces and whether they followed the rules set by EU chemicals legislation.  The inspections covered both professional products such as lead used for welding and consumer goods like textiles, leather, toys, and jewellery. The project found that most of the inspected products did not comply with the law.  Join...

If you imagine chemicals as being stars in the sky, together they form a universe of substances, some closer to each other and others further apart with different properties and hazard profiles. To help map this universe and speed up the identification of chemicals that need to be regulated, ECHA currently assesses them in groups. This means that we put structurally similar chemicals together, with the assumption that they are likely to have a similar hazard and can be used in a similar way....

Tattoos are a popular form of body art – at least 12 % of Europeans have them. In the 18-35 age group, twice as many are likely to have a tattoo. The health risks of using dirty needles to inject the inks have been under scrutiny for a long time. Now, their chemical-related concerns have also been analysed and their risks have been regulated at the EU level. To protect European citizens, thousands of hazardous chemicals found in tattoo inks and permanent make-up are restricted in the EU...

A recent study has looked at product lifecycles, waste recycling and the circular economy for nanomaterials. Its findings show that we don’t currently have a full picture of how nanomaterials in products – and consequently in waste streams – may impact our health or the environment. These knowledge gaps make it difficult to know how to recycle, treat or dispose of nanomaterials efficiently once products containing them are no longer used and become waste.   In this episode, we speak with two...

When companies apply to get their biocidal active substances approved or have their biocidal products authorised across the whole EU, it is the Biocidal Products Committee that checks them and forms an opinion on the applications. The opinions are then sent to the European Commission which takes the final decision on the applications.  In this episode, we interview Erik van de Plassche, Chair of ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee. We focus on the October meeting of the committee which...

The SCIP database aims to improve transparency on the use of substances of very high concern (SVHCs), also known as Candidate List substances, in all products on the EU market. It can help consumers to make more informed purchasing choices and waste operators to further develop the re-use of articles and the recycling of materials. It can also be seen as a driver for substitution to get these extremely hazardous substances out from products, wherever possible. In this episode, we interview...

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level. We interviewed...

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level. We interviewed...

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level. We interviewed...

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level. We interviewed...

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level. We interviewed...

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human health. It concluded that there are risks that are not adequately controlled and need to be addressed at the EU level. We interviewed...

In 2019, inspectors and customs officers in 16 EU countries carried out a project to check around 1 400 imported products. Nearly 1 in 4 products violated EU chemical safety laws. We interviewed Maria Orphanou, an inspector from Cyprus and the Chair of the Forum Working Group, Erwin Annys, ECHA's Head of Unit for Support and Enforcement activities as well as Miquel Aguado from the European Commission who discuss the findings of the report and give tips for consumers on how to avoid buying...

Interview with Peter Van Der Zandt, ECHA's Director of Risk Management about the restriction proposal for perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid (PFHxS) and intentionally-added microplastics. The European Union is looking into restricting the use of intentionally added microplastics in products, small particles that create big problems, and PHFxS (and related substances) that belong to the PFAS family, also known as “forever chemicals” due to their ability to stay in the environment for a very long...

Interview with Bjorn Hansen, ECHA's Executive Director about poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). They are manufactured chemicals widely used since the 1940s to produce many different consumer products. Tests show some of them can cause serious health effects such as cancer and liver damage. The good news is that the EU is taking action to reduce their use. Where exactly are they used, what are the concerns and what is the EU doing about them? Listen to our podcast to find out! Watch...

Interview with Karine Fiore, Regulatory and Socio-Economic Projects Manager from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) about France's intention to propose a restriction of PAHs, furans, dioxins, PCBs and formaldehyde in single-use nappies for infants and children. More Webinar: call for evidence on possible restriction of substances of concern in single-use nappies for infants and children-------------------- Disclaimer: Views expressed by...