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High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals

Regulators and the general public are rightly demanding to know more about the properties and potential risks of chemicals, particularly when produced and used in high quantities. The chlor-alkali industry believes that it is essential to provide such information in a transparent and scientific manner. As well as conforming to existing legislation, Euro Chlor is committed to improving the management and knowledge of its chemicals through voluntary initiatives such as the ICCA HPV (High Production Volume) Initiative.

The ICCA HPV Initiative

The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) launched the global HPV chemicals programme in October 1998 to provide harmonised, internationally-agreed data on the properties of about 1,000 common chemicals by the end of 2004. This programme aims to complete assessment dossiers that can be evaluated through the existing OECD HPV programme (see below), thereby obtaining an information package recognised and agreed by the international community.

Euro Chlor is actively working to support consortia and companies in developing timely and high quality dossiers for chlorinated compounds on the ICCA HPV list. Our federation has, in collaboration with its international counterparts the Chlorine Chemistry Council (CCC) and the Japan Soda Industry Association (JSIA), assumed responsibility to provide leadership in the collection of the data. To date (Sept 2003), consortia of producers have been set up in Europe for 43 chlorinated substances, of which 31 are directly coordinated by Euro Chlor member companies.

Although the programme aims to accelerate the process of product evaluation, it will still take several years to complete. Given the aim of restoring confidence in chemicals and the chemical industry, Euro Chlor believes it is important to make the process as transparent as possible. Accordingly, the federation has chosen to report progress in collecting the required date. This information is periodically updated in the HPV Table.

The EU Existing Substance Regulation

Within Europe, concern regarding the potential risks of chemicals has been an EU policy priority since the late 1980s. In 1993 the Council Regulation (EEC) 793/93 - better known as the Existing Substances Regulation (ESR) - was adopted to provide a legislative framework for the evaluation and control of "existing" chemical substances.

Euro Chlor and its members continue to be involved in risk assessments of chlorinated chemicals identified as priorities under the ESR. Risk assessment takes into account both the hazardous properties of a chemical and the degree to which people and the environment are exposed. Managing the risk, therefore, involves a number of steps - gathering data on the intrinsic properties and the use and exposure of the substance; assessing the risk; ascertaining whether the risk is acceptable; and, where necessary, implementing reduction measures to minimise risk. Euro Chlor members are actively involved in this process, and this information is periodically updated in our HPV Table.

The OECD HPV programme

In 1990, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) started a programme whereby member countries share the burden of investigating HPV chemicals whether produced locally or imported. The programme consists in collecting characterisation, effects and exposure data into a Screening Information Data Set (SIDS) and making an initial assessment report (SIAR, SIDS Initial Assessment Report) of the information. Conclusions are drawn on the potential hazard(s) of the chemical and recommendations made on the need for further work. A SIDS Initial Assessment Profile (SIAP) summarises the rationale for the conclusions and clarifies the recommendations further, if appropriate. The recommendation can either be that the chemical is currently of low priority for further work, or that it is a candidate for further work to clarify an identified potential risk. For more information on the OECD HPV programme, see the HPV links section.

While the chemical industry is providing the OECD programme with a large number of HPV dossiers through the ICCA HPV Initiative, OECD Member countries still continue to investigate the compounds on the OECD list of HPV chemicals. Euro chlor members are also actively involved in this process, and the information sets from this source are also periodically included in our HPV Table.