On 12 October 2018, the European Commission published Regulation (EU) 2018/1513 to approve restricting a list of substances classified as category 1A or 1B carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) in clothing and related accessories, skin-contact textiles, and footwear under Annex XVII to REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. According to the Regulation, Entry No. 72 under Annex XVII and Appendix 12 shall be added. The restrictions shall be fulfilled by 1 November 2020. Here are the highlights:
Scope
The chemical restrictions shall apply to the following products for use by consumers:
- (a)Clothing or related accessories
- (b)Textiles other than clothing which, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, come into contact with human skin to an extent similar to clothing (excluding “disposable textiles”, which means textiles that are designed to be used only once or for a limited time and are not intended for subsequent use for the same or a similar purpose)
- (c)Footwear
However, the restrictions shall not apply to:
- (a) Clothing, related accessories or footwear, or parts of clothing, related accessories or footwear, made exclusively of natural leather, fur or hide
- (b) Non-textile fasteners and non-textile decorative attachments
- (c) Second-hand clothing, related accessories, textiles other than clothing or footwear
- (d) Wall-to-wall carpets and textile floor coverings for indoor use, rugs and runners.
- (e) Personal protective clothing, related accessories, textiles other than clothing or footwear within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/425.
- (f) Clothing, related accessories, textiles other than clothing or footwear that are classified as medical devices within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/745.
Chemical Restrictions
The substances to be restricted are listed in Appendix 12 of the REACH Regulation, and their concentration limits (measured in homogeneous material) are listed as follows:
| Substances | CAS No |
Concentration limit by weight (measured in homogeneous material) |
| Cadmium and its compounds (listed in Annex XVII, Entry 28, 29, 30, Appendices 1-6) | - | < 1 mg/kg (expressed as Cd metal that can be extracted from the material) |
| Chromium VI compounds (listed in Annex XVII, Entry 28, 29, 30, Appendices 1-6) | - | < 1 mg/kg (expressed as Cr VI that can be extracted from the material) |
| Arsenic compounds (listed in Annex XVII, Entry 28, 29, 30, Appendices 1-6) | - | < 1 mg/kg (expressed as As metal that can be extracted from the material) |
| Lead and its compounds (listed in Annex XVII, Entry 28, 29, 30, Appendices 1-6) | - | < 1 mg/kg (expressed as Pb metal that can be extracted from the material) |
| Benzene | 71-43-2 | < 5 mg/kg |
| Benz[a]anthracene | 56-55-3 | < 1 mg/kg |
| Benz[e]acephenanthrylene | 205-99-2 | < 1 mg/kg |
|
Benzo[a]pyrene; Benzo[def]chrysene |
50-32-8 | < 1 mg/kg |
| Benzo[e]pyrene | 192-97-2 | < 1 mg/kg |
| Benzo[j]fluoranthene | 205-82-3 | < 1 mg/kg |
| Benzo[k]fluoranthene | 207-08-9 | < 1 mg/kg |
| Chrysene | 218-01-9 | < 1 mg/kg |
| Dibenz[a,h]anthracene | 53-70-3 | < 1 mg/kg |
|
α, α,α,4-tetrachlorotoluene; p-chlorobenzotrichloride |
5216-25-1 | < 1 mg/kg |
| α, α,α-trichlorotoluene; benzotrichloride | 98-07-7 | < 1 mg/kg |
| α-chlorotoluene; benzyl chloride | 100-44-7 | < 1 mg/kg |
| Formaldehyde | 50-00-0 |
< 75 mg/kg (The concentration limit 300 mg/kg shall apply to jackets, coats and upholstery between 1 November 2020 and 1 November 2023. The limit 75 mg/kg shall apply to these products from 2 November 2023.) |
| 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid; di-C 6-8-branched alkylesters, C 7-rich | 71888-89-6 |
< 1000 mg/kg |
| Bis(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate | 117-82-8 | |
| Diisopentylphthalate | 605-50-5 | |
| Di-n-pentyl phthalate (DPP) | 131-18-0 | |
| Di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHP) | 84-75-3 | |
|
N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) |
872-50-4 | < 3000 mg/kg |
| N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) | 127-19-5 | < 3000 mg/kg |
|
N,N-dimethylformamide; Dimethyl formamide |
68-12-2 | < 3000 mg/kg |
|
1,4,5,8-tetraaminoanthraquinone; C.I. Disperse Blue 1 |
2475-45-8 | < 50 mg/kg |
|
Benzenamine,4,4'-(4-iminocyclohexa-2,5- dienylidenemethylene)dianiline hydrochloride; C.I. Basic Red 9 |
569-61-9 | < 50 mg/kg |
|
[4-[4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)benzhydrylidene]cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene]dimethylammonium chloride; C.I. Basic Violet 3 with ≥ 0,1 % of Michler's ketone (EC no. 202-027-5) |
548-62-9 | < 50 mg/kg |
| 4-chloro-o-toluidinium chloride | 3165-93-3 | < 30 mg/kg |
| 2-Naphthylammoniumacetate | 553-00-4 | < 30 mg/kg |
|
4-methoxy-m-phenylene diammonium sulphate; 2,4-diaminoanisole sulphate |
39156-41-7 | < 30 mg/kg |
| 2,4,5-trimethylaniline hydrochloride | 21436-97-5 | < 30 mg/kg |
| Quinoline | 91-22-5 | < 50 mg/kg |
Note: The above requirements shall apply without prejudice to the application of any stricter restrictions set out in Annex XVII to the REACH Regulation or other applicable EU legislation.