The Commission of the European Union (EU) has once again modified the restrictions on the use of certain hazardous chemicals contained in Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, better known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals).
The amending action is codified in Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/957, published in mid-June in the Official Journal of the European Union. As a result, Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation now includes restrictions against the use of several types of tridecafluorooctyl silanetriol or any of its mono, di, or tri-alkyl derivatives in spray products, in concentrations equal to or greater than 2 parts per billion (PPB) by weight.
The Regulation also requires that spray products for which this restriction apply and which are placed on the market for professional use must be clearly marked for that purpose, along with warnings about the potentially fatal risks associated with inhaling the chemical.
The new restrictions come into force on January 2, 2021.