Candidate List ‘reaches’ 250

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added three more substances to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC) under REACH, bringing the total to 250. They may in future be placed on the Authorisation List, meaning that they cannot be used without the authority of the European Commission.

1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyl-3-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]trisiloxane (CAS 17928-28-28) and decamethyltetrasiloxane (CAS 141-62-8) are both classified as very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB ). They have multiple uses, including personal care. Reactive Brown 51, which is used in textile treatment products and dyes, is toxic for reproduction.

As a result, companies using any of these at >0.1 wt% in an article must give customers information and consumers information on how to use them safely. Importers and producers of articles have to notify ECHA if their article contains a Candidate List substance within six months from the date it has been included in the list, in this case 25 June 2025.