On 30 September 2016, South Korea's environment ministry has published a revised list of substances restricted under K-REACH.
Nonylphenols and NPEs are used in manufacturing detergents, paints, pesticides, cosmetics and plastics. They are considered endocrine disruptors and bioaccumulative in aquatic environments.
The amendment is summarised as below:
SUBSTANCE | RESTRICTION |
1.nonylphenols(NP), | The substances are restricted from manufacture, import, sale, storage, transport or use if the substance present in the articles in concentrations greater than 0,1% by weight. l household cleaners, inks or paints; or l industrial or business purpose cleaners, detergents, textile or leather finishing. This does not apply if the substance is used up in the process or removed completely before flowing into wastewater. |
The enforcement date is from 30 December for most substances, but from 1 July 2018 for Cas numbers 68412-54-4, 37205-87-1, 26027-38-3 and 127087-87-0.
It deserves notice that the restriction limit for NP and NPE in household cleaners, textiles and leather processing is 0,1% where the placing on the market or use in substances or mixtures. On 14 January 2016, European Commission published Regulation (EU) 2016/26 to amend Entry 46 in Annex XVII to REACH by including NPE restrictions on textile articles. Textile articles with NPE in concentrations of equal to or greater than 0,01% shall not be placed on EU market since 3 February 2021. (European Commission publishes NPE restrictions on textile articles under REACH—reported by C&K Testing in January 2016)
OEKO-TEX®Standard 100, the EU standard for biological textiles, also sets limits for the substances.
The restriction of NP and NPE in South Korea and EU will affect textile exporters. C&K Testing advises related businesses to deal with due care.
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