BASF Tops Chemical SIN List

BASF produces the most hazardous chemicals in Europe, according to ChemSec’s annual Substitute It Now, or SIN List.

The updated list, with information from the second registration phase of REACH — the European Chemicals Agency’s chemical rules — includes companies that produce or import SIN List chemicals in the EU market.

BASF has a total of 46 substances on the list, followed by Lanxess with 19, Umicore and Evonik with 18.

Looking at the production of SIN chemicals by all companies in the MSCI World Developed Markets Index, the same oil and gas companies as last year are found at the top: Shell (99), ExxonMobil (86) and Total, with 73 SIN List chemicals.

The SIN List consists of chemicals that ChemSec has identified as substances of very high concern based on the criteria established by REACH.

Besides their environmental and health impacts, the production of hazardous chemicals also entails financial risks: possible liabilities, product recalls and the decline of market shares, ChemSec says.

In February ChemSec added 249 chemicals to its SIN list. The additions expand the number of listed chemicals by 66 percent.