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ECHA adds two new Substances of Very High Concern to Candidate List Image

ECHA adds two new Substances of Very High Concern to Candidate List

Date
05 Feb 2026

Reference source : ECHA

Substances of Very High Concern SVHCs REACH Candidate List n-hexane Bisphenol AF EU REACH

On 4 February 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that two new substances had been added to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) due to their hazardous properties. The Candidate List now contains 253 entries, some of which are groups of substances.

Substances of Very High Concern

Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) are substances that may cause serious and often irreversible effects on human health or the environment. A substance identified as an SVHC may be placed on the Candidate List for possible inclusion in the Authorisation List (Annex XIV to REACH). Some entries on the Candidate List cover groups of chemicals, meaning that the total number of affected substances may be higher than the number of entries. If a substance is included in the Authorisation List, its use is prohibited unless the European Commission grants authorisation for specific uses.

New substances on the Candidate List

The two new entries on the Candidate List entries were identified due to concerns relating to neurotoxicity and toxicity for reproduction. The substances added on 4 February 2026 are listed below.

Substance name

CAS number

Reason for inclusion

Examples of use

n-Hexane

110-54-3

Specific target organ toxicity after repeated exposure (REACH Article 57c)

Solvents, cleaning products, coatings, degreasers

4,4′-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol (Bisphenol AF) and its salts

1478-61-1

Toxic for reproduction (REACH Article 57c)

Manufacture of polymers and rubber

 

Legal obligations for substances on the Candidate List

Under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation, specific legal obligations apply to substances on the Candidate List:

  • Suppliers must inform customers and consumers if their articles contain more than 0.1 % (w/w) of a substance on the Candidate List.
  • Consumers have the right to ask suppliers whether articles contain SVHCs.
  • Suppliers of Candidate List substances, either on their own or in mixtures, must provide a safety data sheet (SDS).
  • Importers and manufacturers of articles containing a substance on the Candidate List must notify ECHA within six months of the substance being added to the list.

In addition, under the Waste Framework Directive, companies must notify ECHA if articles they place on the market contain SVHCs at a concentration above 0.1 % (w/w). This information is made publicly available in ECHA’s Substances of Concern in Products (SCIP) database.

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