ECHA adds three new hazardous chemicals to candidate list, raising total to 250

Mohammad Mithun 24 mins agoLast Updated: July 2, 2025

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The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has announced the addition of three more hazardous chemicals to its Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs), bringing the total number of entries to 250. These additions reflect growing concerns about environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity, and they signal potential future regulatory actions under the EU’s REACH legislation.

The Candidate List identifies chemicals that may pose serious risks to human health or the environment. Companies using these substances are legally required to manage the associated risks and to inform customers and consumers about safe usage.

New Substances Identified

The latest update includes two substances that are classified as very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB), and one that is toxic for reproduction:

1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyl-3-[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]trisiloxane
- EC number: 241-867-7
- CAS number: 17928-28-8
- Reason for inclusion: Very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB)
- Uses: Commonly found in cosmetics, personal care products, perfumes, fragrances, and as a laboratory reagent.
Decamethyltetrasiloxane
- EC number: 205-491-7
- CAS number: 141-62-8
- Reason for inclusion: Very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB)
- Uses: Used in a wide range of products including cosmetics, lubricants, greases, and automotive care products.
Reactive Brown 51(Tetra(sodium/potassium) 7-[(E)-{2-acetamido-4-[(E)-(4-{[4-chloro-6-({2-[(4-fluoro-6-{[4-(vinylsulfonyl)phenyl]amino}-1,3,5-triazine-2-yl)amino]propyl}amino)-1,3,5-triazine-2-yl]amino}-5-sulfonato-1-naphthyl)diazenyl]-5-methoxyphenyl}diazenyl]-1,3,6-naphthalenetrisulfonate)
- EC number: 466-490-7
- Reason for inclusion: Toxic for reproduction
- Uses: Utilized primarily in textile treatment and dye products.

ECHA emphasized that the number of impacted chemicals is actually higher than the number of entries, as some entries represent groups of substances.

Legal and Regulatory Implications

Inclusion on the Candidate List triggers several obligations for companies under the EU’s REACH Regulation:

Information Disclosure: Suppliers must inform customers and consumers if an article contains a listed substance in concentrations above 0.1% weight by weight. Consumers have the right to request this information from suppliers.
ECHA Notification: Importers and producers of articles containing Candidate List substances must notify ECHA within six months of the substance’s inclusion—by 25 December 2025 in this case.
Safety Data Sheets: EU and EEA suppliers of these substances, whether sold individually or in mixtures, are required to update their safety data sheets accordingly.
Waste Framework Directive: Companies must also report SVHCs present in articles to ECHA’s SCIP (Substances of Concern In Products) database if they exceed the 0.1% threshold.

While inclusion in the Candidate List does not immediately ban the substances, it is a critical step toward possible future restriction. Substances from the Candidate List may be moved to the Authorisation List, meaning companies would need explicit permission from the European Commission to continue their use.

This move by ECHA reflects the agency’s continued commitment to safeguarding both public health and the environment from the risks posed by hazardous chemicals.