European Commission grants three authorisations for diarsenic trioxide

Official Journal of the European Union published the three authorisations for diarsenic trioxide on 2 September 2015 and 5 September 2015 successively.
 
Diarsenic trioxide, which is known as Pi Shuang in Chinese, is an inorganic highly toxic product. It may greatly affect nervous system and permeability of capillary and irritate skin and mucosa. Great volume of inhalation may lead to acute poisoning and cancer.
 
However, it is shown that socio-economic benefits of such authorisation outweigh the risk to human health or the environment arising from the use of the substance and if there are no suitable alternative substances or technologies according to Article 60 (4) under REACH Regulation. Therefore, European Commission decided to grant three authorisations.
 

Date of decision	Substance name	Holder of the authorisation	Authorised use	Date of expiry of review period
1 September 2015	Diarsenic trioxide CAS No.: 1327-53-3 EC No.: 215-481-4	Boliden Kokkola Oy, Outokummuntie 8, 67 101 Kokkola, Finland	The use of diarsenic trioxide in the purification of metal impurities from the leaching solution in the zinc electrowinning process	21 May 2027
1 September 2015		Linxens France, 37, Rue des Closeaux, 78200 Mantes La Jolie, France	Formulation into a mixture and the industrial use as processing aid in gold electroplating	21 May 2022
4 September 2015		Nordenhamer Zinkhütte GmbH, Johannastr. 1, 26954 Nordenham, Germany	Industrial use of diarsenic trioxide to produce a copper concentrate in the purification of the leaching solution in a zinc electrowinning process	21 May 2027