-
.
- Русский
The Labour Inspection Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance informs the affected professionals and consumers that a new restriction has been published concerning the lead content in articles made of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) polymers. The restriction amends point 63 of Annex XVII of the European REACH Regulation, according to which articles made of PVC must not be used or placed on the Cypriot and European market if the content of Lead in them is equal to or higher than 0.1 % by weight.
Lead is a toxic substance that affects the development of the nervous system, causes chronic kidney disease, adverse effects on blood pressure and neurodevelopmental effects in children.
Lead is used in PVC because it increases its thermal stability and provides protection against photodegradation. The European industry voluntarily phased out the use of Lead stabilisers in PVC from 2015. PVC articles containing Lead, especially products in the construction sector, have a long lifespan, remain in use for many decades and then become waste. Upon final disposal, PVC articles containing Lead may be recycled, reintroducing Lead into other products through recovered PVC.
The above restriction enters into force on 29 November 2024 and does not apply to articles placed on the market before that date. For articles containing recovered flexible PVC, the transitional period of application of the restriction is extended until 28 May 2025.
Note that, for articles made of recovered rigid PVC, the transitional period of application of the restriction is 28 May 2033. The lead content limit in such articles as those listed below is 1.5% by weight:
- Exterior cladding panels and plastic surfaces for use in building construction.
- Multilayer pipes (excluding pipes for drinking water, for which a detailed description is given in the text of the Regulation).
- Miscellaneous fittings.
Suppliers of articles made of recovered rigid PVC that benefit from the above derogations shall demonstrate that the plastic material is of recovered origin by providing evidence based on the technical specifications of EN 15343:2007. They shall also ensure before placing on the market that those articles bear the following marking in a clearly visible, legible and indelible manner: 'Contains ≥ 0,1 % lead'. If the article cannot bear this marking due to its nature, the marking shall be on the packaging.
Plastic toys, electrical goods, food contact materials, lead-acid batteries and packaging are exempt from the Regulation. More information can be found in the text of the restriction here.
For any clarifications, interested parties can contact the relevant officials on 22405609, 22405611 and 22405637.
(NG/EXP)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
