Placing on the market of textile and leather articles containing NP and NPE

NP and NPEs have been found in environmental samples taken from freshwater, saltwater, groundwater, sediment, soil and aquatic biota. NP has also been detected in human breast milk, blood, and urine and is associated with reproductive and developmental effects in rodents. NP is persistent in the aquatic environment, moderately bioaccumulative, and extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. NP has also been shown to exhibit estrogenic properties in vitro and in vivo assays. NP’s main use is in the manufacture of NPEs.
NPEs are nonionic surfactants that have been used in a wide variety of industrial applications and consumer products. They can be found in textile (and leather?) articles. NPEs, though less toxic and persistent than NP, are also highly toxic to aquatic organisms, and, in the environment, degrade into NP.
Levels of NP in waters above the environmental quality standards in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is found in several waters despite the strict restriction on the use of Nonylphenol (NP) and Nonylphenoletoxilates (NPEO) under the limitations directive 76/769/EEC (now in Reach Annex XVII, entry 46) having been in force since January 2005. NP and NPEO in textiles have been identified as a significant source of NP in the environment.
The Swedish Chemicals Agency is therefore investigating the possibility to propose a restriction on the placing of the market of textile and leather articles containing NP or NPEO.

Not conforming

02-Sep-2011

03-Aug-2012

07-Feb-2013

The restriction dossier does not conform to the requirements of Annex XV dossier.

11-Oct-2018

28-Feb-2018