EU Database Publishes Information on Hazardous Chemicals in Products

Individuals are now able to access data from the Substances of Concern in Products database, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has announced. SCIP, as the database is commonly known, is the European Union’s first public database of substances of very high concern in products. The database is intended to help consumers make more informed purchasing choices by allowing them to check whether products contain hazardous chemicals and read instructions for the safe use of products. ECHA notes that waste operators can also use the data to inform the improvement and development of reuse and recycling processes.

According to ECHA, substances of very high concern, or SVHCs, may have serious effects on human health and the environment. All companies that place products containing SVHCs on the market in the EU are required to notify the agency so the products can be in noted in the database. Technical data from companies on an article or product includes information to identify the item and instructions for its safe use as well as the SVHC, its location, and the type of material in which it is contained. Users are able to search the data by name or brand, product category, type of material, and chemical name.

At present, lead and lead monoxide are among the most common SVHCs found in SCIP. The most common product categories in the database include machinery, measuring instruments, electronic equipment, vehicles, and parts of these products.

For more information on SCIP, see ECHA’s news release.