Testing for REACH compliance

The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical’s (REACH) goal is to improve protection of human health and the environment.  The process has implemented more timely and efficient identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances (ec.europa.eu).

With the REACH Regulation, industries are expected to manage the risks and provide safety information about their chemicals. Manufacturers and importers are then required to provide data on the properties of their chemical substances in order to register the information in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

A large number of substances have been manufactured and placed into the European market for many years, sometimes in very high amounts; however, information on their hazards to human health and the environment had been extremely insufficient and caused rising health concerns.  As a form of risk management, REACH was implemented in 2007.

There are three categories of testing that REACH registrants must have sufficient data on for chemical registration. These categories include:

1. Physiochemical Properties
2. Ecotoxicological Information
3. Toxicological Information

Situ Biosciences’ Analytical and Ecotoxicological Laboratories can perform testing on chemicals to generate the data required for the Physiochemical Properties and Ecotoxicological information registration components.

For Ecotoxicology testing, customers request the following:

• Acute Daphnia Toxicity (OECD 202)
• Algal Growth Inhibition (OECD 201)
• Acute Fish Toxicity (OECD 203)
• Activated Sludge Respiration Inhibition (OECD 209)
• Daphnia Long-term Toxicity (OECD 211)
• Ready Biodegradation (OECD 301)
• Abiotic Degradation-hydrolysis (OECD 111)
• Absorption Coefficient (OECD 121)
• Long-Term Toxicity on fish (OECD 210, 212, 215)
• Bioconcentration in Fish
• Effects on Terrestrial Organism (Invertebrates, Soil organisms and Plants only)
• Long-term effects on Terrestrial Organisms (Invertebrates, Soil organisms and Plants only)
• Sediment Dwelling Organisms (OECD 218/219, 225)

For the Analytical testing to determine the Physiochemical properties of a test substance, customers request the following:

• Relative Density (OECD 109)
• Vapor Pressure (OECD 104)
• Water Solubility (OECD 105)
• Partition Coefficient n-Octanol/Water (OECD 107, 117)
• Flash Point
• Dissociation Constant (OECD 112)
• Viscosity (OECD 114)

For more information on testing for REACH Compliance, contact our Laboratory at 847-483-9950 or info@situtest.com.