Registry of restriction intentions until outcome

The registry of restriction intentions until outcome lists the intentions and Annex XV restriction proposals received by ECHA.

A restriction proposal may be prepared by a Member State or by ECHA at the request of the Commission or on its own initiative for substances in the Authorisation List. It is a legal requirement for a Member State to notify ECHA of its intention to prepare a restriction dossier. The advance notice enables interested parties to plan and prepare for commenting later on.

Interested parties can follow the progress of a proposal through the restriction process, from the notification of the intention to the adoption of the final opinions by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC), and the adoption of the restriction by the European Commission.

Stakeholders are encouraged to submit any relevant information to the dossier submitters during the preparation of the restriction proposal and during the consultations. Information to motivate any exemptions to the scope described in the intention is particularly useful to receive in the preparatory phase of the dossier.

4-Nonylphenol, branched and linear and 4-Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated

EC / List no: - CAS no: -

CLP Annex VI Index number

Further substance information

Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated [substances with a linear and/or branched alkyl chain with a carbon number of 9 covalently bound in positions 2 and/or 3 and/or 4 to phenol, ethoxylated with a degree of ethoxylation of ≥ 1, covering UVCB- and well-defined substances, polymers and homologues].

Submitter(s)

Sweden

Details on the scope of restriction

Placing on the market of textile clothing, fabric accessories and interior textile articles containing NP or NPE that can be washed in water.

Reason for restriction

NPE is mainly used as a detergent or an emulsifying agent in the manufacturing of textiles. The main route of discharge to the environment of NPEs in textile articles is by washing in water. Since NPE is a non-ionic surfactant, easily dissolved in water, most NPE is likely to be washed out after repeated washing, regardless type of textile
The use of nonylphenol etoxylates within the textile sector in EU is restricted in concentrations equal or higher than 0,1 % (if not used in closed systems) since 2005. The major part of textiles consumed within the EU is however imported from suppliers outside the Union.
As stated in the EU risk assessment report 2.5% of the NPE released to the waste water treatment plant will in time end up as nonylphenol in the environment (based on a worst case scenario). When assessing the toxicity of nonylphenol on its own using a standard risk assessment PEC/PNEC approach there is concern for the marine pelagic compartment at EU level. When the combined toxicity of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates and their degradation products are assessed using Toxic Equivalency Factors there is concern in the marine compartment at EU level and in freshwater for 8 to 12 EU countries out of a total of 25 EU countries and Norway, but not for freshwater at the EU median level. If the uncertainties regarding the endocrine properties of NP would be accounted for by introducing an assessment factor arbitrarily set at 10 to the risk characterisation ratios of the combined toxicity assessment, there would be concern at the EU median level for the marine and freshwater compartments (and for marine waters in the four MS having marine monitoring data and in freshwater for all 24 Member States and Norway for which freshwater monitoring data are available).
The assessment of alternatives to NPE indicates that there is already a range of alternatives available in the market and they are widely used in textile production.

Remarks

Status

Commission decided

Date of intention

17-Apr-2013

Expected date of submission

02-Aug-2013

Withdrawal date

Reason for withdrawal

Start of Call for Evidence consultation

Deadline for comments on the Call for Evidence

Start of second Call for Evidence consultation