Introduction to SVHC testing

SVHC, which is a substance of great concern, comes from the EU REACH regulation. According to Article 57 of the REACH Regulation, SVHC is determined according to the following criteria. Substances of very high concern substances have serious consequences. Substances that meet the conditions can be placed in a list. The SVHC for this list was first published on October 28, 2008 and last updated on June 20, 2013. This list is known as the candidate list for all substances added by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). SVHC may have very serious, or in some cases, irreversible impact on people and the environment, therefore the reason for its authorization.

a) Carcinogens, teratogenic substances and reproductive toxic substances classified as Class 1 and Class 2 according to EU Directive 67/548/EEC. The directive will be replaced by the European Union 1272/2008/EC ("Classification, Labeling and Packaging of Chemical Substances and Mixtures", or CLP Regulations) in the near future, and the new hazardous substances classified as 1a and 1b in the new regulations.

b) Persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances (PBT) and strong persistent strong bioaccumulative substances (vPvB) determined in accordance with Annex XIII of the REACH Regulation.

c) Other substances with actual cases that prove to have serious harmful effects on humans and the environment ([1] such as endocrine interferon).

SVHC detection content

The REACH Regulation Annex XIV candidate list is the SVHC list. Manufacturers or importers who meet certain requirements should notify ECHA of SVHC, otherwise the product will be prohibited from entering the EU market. Testing is only a means to analyze the existence of SVHC in products, but it is not a mandatory requirement of REACH regulations; testing and compliance assessment reports can only be achieved by a laboratory-qualified institution, not just testing. How to measure the REACH capability of an enterprise, the CNAS certificate issued by the National Laboratory Accreditation Committee is an important measurement basis. The CNAS certificate proves that a laboratory is managed according to ISO17025, and this recognition is currently recognized by 58 countries in the world.

SVHC testing products

Since the range of products controlled by the REACH Regulation is very wide, all products exported to the EU are covered. Products requiring SVHC testing include but are not limited to the following:

■ Electrical and electronic products ■ Furniture ■ Automotive

■ Textiles ■ Toys ■ ……

SVHC test item list

● In October 2008, the list of approved SVHC was officially announced, with a total of 15 items;

● In January 2010, the second batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 13 items;

● In June 2010, the third batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 8 items;

● In December 2010, the fourth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 8 items;

● In June 2011, the fifth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 7 items;

● In December 2011, the sixth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, a total of 20 items;

● In June 2012, the seventh batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 13 items;

● In December 2012, the eighth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, a total of 54 items;

● In June 2013, the ninth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 6 items;

● In December 2013, the tenth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 7 items;

● In June 2014, the eleventh batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 4 items;

● In December 2014, the twelfth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 6 items;

● In June 2015, the thirteenth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 2 items;

● In December 2015, the 14th batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 5 items;

● In June 2016, the fifteenth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 1 items;

● In January 2017, the 16th batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 4 items;

● In June 2017, the 17th batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 1 item;

● In December 2017, the eighteenth batch of SVHC list was officially announced, with a total of 7 items;

ZRLK tips

With the continuous updating of regulations, more hazardous substances will surely be included in the SVHC candidate list. The strict control of the SVHC by the European Union will inevitably increase the export costs of many industries such as home appliances, textiles, and toys. Related companies must step up their pace. For enterprises that have confirmed to contain SVHC or may contain export products, it is recommended:

■ According to the EU SVHC list, understand the characteristics of its own products exported to the EU, test the content of the substances in it, and exclude the possibility that the substances used may be defined as SVHC;

■ Follow up on the revision of the list of REACH highly concerned substances, strengthen the research on the identification standards of highly concerned substances in REACH regulations, and strengthen the detection of highly concerned substances;

■ Predict the future direction of the EU SVHC list, establish a sound quality assurance management system, use environmentally friendly materials in product design, accelerate industrial upgrades in structural design, and increase development efforts to find safe alternative substances in the use of hazardous substances.

With the unremitting efforts of the R&D team and the rich technical experience of the laboratory, ZRLK Testing Group always keeps up to date with changes in regulations and is highly concerned about the substance detection field in SVHC. It can provide customers with SVHC testing service programs and provide consulting services. If you have any related requirements, please contact us!