ChemSec’s annual Substitute It Now, or SIN list, has been updated with the addition of 28 chemicals identified as Substances of Very High Concern, using criteria defined by the EU’s REACH regulation.
In addition, the update marks the launch of SINimilarity, a tool for identifying SIN-like chemicals to assist companies in avoiding non-sustainable substitutions.
The updated list includes a number of chemicals that have been used to replace better-known hazardous substances, such as hormone-disrupting chemicals Bisphenol F and Bisphenol S. These substances have been frequently used to replace Bisphenol A.
Modified versions of brominated flame retardants and fluorinated chemicals have also been added.
In addition, the SIN List has been divided into 31 groups based on structure and toxic properties. Examples of these groups are bisphenols, phthalates and perfluorinated compounds. The grouping also serves as the base for SINimilarity, an online tool which allows users to search through 80,000 chemicals to find if they are similar to any of the chemicals on the SIN List.
The SIN List was created in 2008 to highlight chemicals that were likely to be subject to future EU regulation. Last year Chemsec added 249 chemicals to the list, expanding it by 66 percent. At that point, the SIN List consisted of 626 chemicals identified as Substances of Very High Concern.
A SIN List released in May included companies that produce or import SIN List chemicals in the EU market. BASF had a total of 46 substances on the list, followed by Lanxess with 19, and Umicore and Evonik with 18.
Besides potential environmental and health impacts, production of hazardous chemicals opens companies to financial risks including liabilities, product recalls and decline of market shares, according to ChemSec.
