HBCD

HBCD has undergone many scientific studies in the framework of an EU Risk Assessment (RA) for environment and human health. The Swedish government was assigned to undertake the RA of HBCD.

The RA was initiated in 1996 and a final draft was made available in May 2008. A complete data set is already available and it is unlikely that new data will need to be generated for Registration under REACH.

Human Health

The RA conclusions identified no risk to consumers. Furthermore, no risks have been found for workers when standard industrial hygiene measures are applied (current EU practice). All the conclusions are to be found in the SCHER’s review of the human health risk assessment.

Environment

Several specific risks to the environment were identified and a classification of HBCD as R50/53 was also recommended.

In June 2007, the TC-NES (Technical Committee on new and existing substances under Regulation 793/93) decided that HBCD is a Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) chemical. This conclusion was reached despite the fact that the criterion for Persistency was not met, the main concern being an increase of environmental concentrations in past years.

The industry believes that the rising levels of HBCD in the environment were due to emissions of the past. However given the risks identified for the environment, and in order to ensure a responsible use of the chemical, HBCD producers and users are implementing voluntary programs to monitor, control and reduce emissions to the environment.

On 6 May 2008, the EU Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) delivered its opinion on the environmental part of the Risk Assessment Report (RAR) on the flame retardant Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD).

The SCHER concluded that the proposed classification of HBCD as a PBT substance "needs to be reconsidered" following the expected publication of new data.

This conclusion was reached as new data may indicate that the substance is not very persistent. The data are not published yet but have been made available to SCHER by the study authors.

In view of the SCHER opinion, industry believes that the PBT properties should be re-discussed under REACH.

Further information on HBCD and the environment

For more information on the SCHER’s review please go to the HBCD Environment risk assessment .