SVHC1

Chemicals identified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) according to REACH Article 57 may be:

• carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMR),
• persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic (PBT),
• very persistent and very bio-accumulative (vPvB)
• of equivalent concern, e.g. endocrine disruptors (ED).

Substances meeting one or more of those criteria can be added to the REACH Candidate List for Authorisation. Once subject to authorisation, an SVHC may not be used or placed on the market unless specific permission is granted. Currently (01/2018), 181 SVHC are on the List which will substantially grow in the future as new substances are regularly added. In the long term, REACH aims at the identification of all relevant SVHC and their subsequent substitution by safer and suitable alternatives.