Chemical name: Phenol, pentachloro-

Final regulatory action has been taken for the category: Pesticide, Industrial

Final regulatory action: The chemical is Banned

Use or uses prohibited by the final regulatory action:

All uses are prohibited.

Annex 1.1 ORRChem: The manufacture, supply, import and use of pentachlorophenol and of the products containing the substance are banned.

Annex 2.17, ORRChem: The placing on the market of wooden material whose contect exceed 3 mg/kg of dry matter is banned.

Use or uses that remain allowed:

Exemptions: The prohibition does not apply to:

use of pentachlorophenol (substance or in products) for analysis or research purposes

The import of wooden material containing PCP that are transformed or packed differently in Switzerland and then entirely re-exported.

The final regulatory action was based on a risk or hazard evaluation: Yes

Summary of the final regulatory action:

Based on Annex 1.1 of the Ordinance on the Reduction of Risks linked to Chemical products (ORRChem), the manufacture, the placing on the market, the import in a private capacity and the use of pentachlorophenol are prohibited.

Moreover, the Annex 2.17 on the wooden material of the ORRChem aims to prevent the presence in the environment of pollutants such as PCP that were used as wood preservatives. Several measures and quality requirements of old wood used to produce wooden materials have been fixed. The placing on the market of wooden material whose content in PCP is higher than the limit value (3 mg/kg dry matter) is banned.

The reasons for the final regulatory action were relevant to: Environment

Summary of known hazards and risks to the environment:

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) has bactericidal and fungicidal activity, PCP at concentration of 4 - 250 ppm can completely inhibit growth on agar plates of several bacterial and fungal species common in pulp and paper mill systems. Bacterial and fungal growth in soil is completely inhibited by PCP at 2 g Na PCP/kg dry soil. Oxidative phosphorylation and ATPas activity in Micrococcus denitrificans cultures were strongly inhibited by PCP at concentration of 130 mg/l. Gram-negative bacteria were found to be more resistant to PCP than gram-positive ones.

PCP is extremely toxic to aquatic organisms:

Microcystui aeruginosa 0.001 mg/l, 21% inhibition of photosynthesis (semi-continuous flow, 216-264 h)

Microcystis aeruginosa , 1 mg/l, NOEC, growth (static, 96h)

Chlorella pyrenoidosa 7 mg/l, EC 50, growth (flow-through and static, 96h)

Scenedesmus pannonicus 0.1 mg/l, NOEC, growth (static, 96h)

Selenastrum capricornutum .05 - 0.1 mg/l, beginning inhibition of carbon assimilation rate (static, 2h)

Selenastrum capricornutum 2.66 mg/l, complete inhibition of carbon assimilation rate (static, 2h)

Tubificid worms, 0.31 (pH 7.5) - 1.4 (pH 9.5) mg/l, LC 50 (static 24 h)

Daphnia magna 0.8 mg/l, EC 50 (static 24h)

Crassostrea gigas, 0.11 mg/l, 100% abnormal embryos (static 48 h)

Crangon crangon adults 1.79 mg/l LC50 (static 96 h)

Crangon crangon larvae 0.11 mg/l LC50 (static 96 h)

Astacus fluviatilis, 9 (pH 6.5) - 52 (pH 7.5) mg/l, LC 50 (semi-continuous flow-through)

PCP is rather persistent, quite mobile, and found in all environmental compartments. At the higher concentrations found in the surface water near point sources or discharges (mg/litre), aquatic life is adversely affected. Ambient concentrations of PCP commonly found in surface waters (0.1 - 1 ug/litre) may adversely affect very sensitive organisms and may lead to alterations in the ecosystem.

The use of technical PCP and its improper disposal (landfill and low-temperature combustion) can contribute significantly to the contamination of the environment with PCP, PCDDs (polychlorodibenzodioxins) and PCDFs (polychlorodibenzofurans).

Date of entry into force of the final regulatory action: 01/08/2005