August 23, 2013
The European Commission is amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) with regard to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
PAHs include Benzo[a]pyrene, Benzo[e]pyrene, Benzo[a]anthracene, Chrysen, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[j]fluoranthene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene and Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, and are classified as carcinogens of category 1B and can be found in the plastic and rubber parts of a wide range of consumer articles.
Articles containing PAHs shall not be placed on the market for supply to the general public, if any of their rubber or plastic components that come into direct as well as prolonged or short-term repetitive contact with the human skin or the oral cavity, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, contain more than 1 mg/kg (0,0001 % by weight of this component) of any of the listed PAHs. Toys, including activity toys and childcare articles may not contain more than 0,5 mg/kg (0,00005 % by weight of this component) of any of the listed PAHs.