In the latest update to the list of substances of very high concern (SVHC), a further 7 substances have been added in December 2013.

 

C.I. Direct Red 28 (Congo Red) and C.I. Direct Black 38 have been identified as potential carcinogens, and mostly have found application in the dyeing of textiles such as silk. Direct black 38 has been used in wool and leather dyeing in the past, but has poor penetration and resistance to perspiration.

 

Dihexyl phthalate (DnHP) has been added to increase the total number of phthalates on the substance list to seven. No specific use data has been identified in Europe, and analysis of plastics containing other phthalate plasticisers has given a below detection limit level for DnHP.

 

Cadmium sulphide has wide application including its use in light dependant resistors and as a golden yellow pigment in glass. Trixylyl phosphate is used as a lubricant or plasticiser in plastics. Lead di(acetate) has been used in hair dyes, but this use was banned in Europe in 2010. It has application in some textile treatments and paints. There is no known application for leather manufacture.

 

The final product added in the latest round is Imidazolidine-2-thione. This material is a metabolite, or breakdown product, of MancoZeb, an ethylene-bis-dithiocarbamate (EBDC) fungicide. Whilst a ban or restriction on its availability to the general public was sought through the ERMA Chief Executive-initiated reassessments priority list in 2007, this product is still in use in New Zealand today in the form of garden fungicides such as Mankocide.