ECHA recommends eight substances for REACH authorisation

To protect workers and the environment, ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) recommend that the European Commission adds eight substances, including lead, to the REACH Authorisation List. Once substances are added to the list, companies will need to apply for authorisation to continue using them.

ECHA’s 11th recommendation includes the following substances:

• Ethylenediamine
• 2-(4-tertbutylbenzyl)propionaldehyde and its individual stereoisomers
• Lead
• Glutaral
• 2-methyl-1-(4-methylthiophenyl)-2-morpholinopropan-1-one
• 2-benzyl-2- dimethylamino-4’-morpholinobutyrophenone
• Diisohexyl phthalate
• Orthoboric acid, sodium salt.

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ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee backs PFAS ban in firefighting foams

ECHA’s Committee for Risk Assessment supports the proposed restriction on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting foams. The draft opinion of the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis is open for consultation until 15 May 2023.

According to SEAC, the proposal is the most appropriate EU-wide measure for addressing identified risks, taking into account the availability of alternatives and the proportionality of its benefits and costs to society.

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Technical Bulletin (TB22) on the uses of PFAS to assist with identification of sites of concern

CL:AIRE published a new technical bulletin (TB22) on the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to assist with identification of sites of concern. It aims to provide an overview of some of the bulk, legacy and/or dispersive uses of PFAS, to act as a guide to site investigations of land by assisting with identification of activities which may lead to PFAS being present at concentrations which could pose a risk to environmental or human health receptors.

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It follows on from CL:AIRE Technical Bulletin TB19 - Managing Risks and Liabilities associated with PFAS.

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SOILveR: POSIDON Coffee break meeting 18 April 2023

SOILveR, the Soil and Land Research Funding platform for Europe, invites for an online coffee break meeting on one of the funded projects: POSIDON (Polluted site decontamination pre-commercial procurement) on 18 April 2023, 11:30 – 12:15 (Zoom).

The POSIDON pilot sites are characterized by clay and sandy soils and the presence of industrial waste (from construction and demolition, slag and ash as filler soils) and mainly polluted by heavy hydrocarbon fractions, PAH, lead and arsenic. Through a number of evaluation phases, Soil-Omic and ERASE have been selected as best-value for money innovative in-situ technologies and tested, in parallel, in two real operational contexts, in Trieste and Bilbao.

Program & registration