The European Union Identified the Flame Retardant DBDPE as a Substance of Very High Concern
2025-10-21
Recently, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that the Member State Committee (MSC) had agreed to designate decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) due to its high persistence and bioaccumulation (vPvB) characteristics. ECHA plans to include it in the SVHC candidate list in November.
In addition to the regular obligations following inclusion in the candidate list, designating DBDPE as an SVHC will support potential restrictions on brominated flame retardants. It also aligns with the deadline for the substance to be transferred to the CLP Regulation¡äs uniform list.
DBDPE is primarily used as a substitute for decabromodiphenyl ether flame retardants, commonly found in HIPS, ABS resins, as well as plastics such as PVC and PP. It is also widely applied in adhesives and sealants, coatings, lubricants and greases, detergents and cleaning products, among others. Due to DBDPE¡äs VPvB characteristics, Sweden proposed its inclusion as a candidate SVHC substance on April 23, 2025. The ECHA designated DBDPE as a candidate SVHC substance on June 2, 2025, followed by a public consultation period from June 27 to August 11, 2025.
According to the REACH Regulation, manufacturers and importers must submit corresponding notifications when using SVHCs in their products at concentrations exceeding 0.1% (by weight) and if the total weight of the substance produced in the EU market annually exceeds 1 ton. Based on the EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD), companies placing items containing SVHCs at concentrations above 0.1% on the EU market are required to complete SCIP notifications.
In addition to the regular obligations following inclusion in the candidate list, designating DBDPE as an SVHC will support potential restrictions on brominated flame retardants. It also aligns with the deadline for the substance to be transferred to the CLP Regulation¡äs uniform list.
DBDPE is primarily used as a substitute for decabromodiphenyl ether flame retardants, commonly found in HIPS, ABS resins, as well as plastics such as PVC and PP. It is also widely applied in adhesives and sealants, coatings, lubricants and greases, detergents and cleaning products, among others. Due to DBDPE¡äs VPvB characteristics, Sweden proposed its inclusion as a candidate SVHC substance on April 23, 2025. The ECHA designated DBDPE as a candidate SVHC substance on June 2, 2025, followed by a public consultation period from June 27 to August 11, 2025.
According to the REACH Regulation, manufacturers and importers must submit corresponding notifications when using SVHCs in their products at concentrations exceeding 0.1% (by weight) and if the total weight of the substance produced in the EU market annually exceeds 1 ton. Based on the EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD), companies placing items containing SVHCs at concentrations above 0.1% on the EU market are required to complete SCIP notifications.