Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in consumer products to be regulated by the EU - risk assessment by BfR in the context of a restriction proposal under REACH
| Main Author: | German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment |
|---|---|
| Format: | Report |
| Terbitan: |
, 2010
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/582167 |
Daftar Isi:
- Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) still are frequently found in consumer products such as toys, tool handles, bicycle grips, shoes or sporting goods, despite the fact that the health hazards of these substances have been known for a long time. PAHs may be present in plastics, elastomer or rubber materials, lacquers, varnishes, paints or other coatings. For this reason, Germany is currently urging the EU to restrict these hazardous compounds in a great variety of products. According to the European chemicals regulation REACH, EU Member States are entitled to propose such restrictions, if they believe that a chemical poses health risks which require Community-wide action. In the context of this restriction procedure, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has performed a human health risk assessment for PAHs in consumer products. Its focus was placed on evaluating the potential carcinogenic risk following contact and uptake via the skin. For this purpose, BfR has evaluated chemical-analytical data on the PAH content of more than 5,300 consumer products - including grips/handles, toys and sports equipment. These data originated from a number of different laboratories, consumer protection institutions or BfR itself. Products for everyday use by consumers and children in particular sometimes displayed very high PAH contents. The BfR risk assessment is part of a restriction dossier compiled by several German authorities. It was handed over to the European Commission in June 2010. The dossier contains a recommendation to restrict the content of carcinogenic PAHs in consumer products to a maximum of 0.2 mg/kg. This limit value is based on the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) of the analytical test method used for the German GS (certified safety) mark. In addition, it is proposed that future technical progress is monitored and the limit value is adjusted to future (lower) analytical quantification limits as appropriate.
- DE; en; efsa-focal-point@bfr.bund.de