Chemical name: Cadmium Final regulatory action has been taken for the category: Industrial Final regulatory action: The chemical is Severely Restricted Use or uses prohibited by the final regulatory action: 1. Shall not be used to give colour to finished articles manufactured from the substances and preparations listed below: (a) - polyvinyl chloride (PVC) [3904 10] [3904 21] [3904 22] - polyurethane (PUR) [3909 50] - low-density polyethylene (ld PE), with the exception of low-density polyethylene used for the production of coloured masterbatch [3901 10] - cellulose acetate (CA) [3912 11] [3912 12 - cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) [3912 11] [3912 12] - epoxy resins [3907 30] - melamine - formaldehyde (MF) resins [3909 20] - urea - formaldehyde (UF) resins [3909 10] - unsaturated polyesters (UP) [3907 91] - polyethylene terephthalate (PET) [3907 60] - polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) - transparent/general-purpose polystyrene [3903 11] [3903 19] - acrylonitrile methylmethacrylate (AMMA) - cross-linked polyethylene (VPE) - high-impact polystyrene - polypropylene (PP) [3902 10] (b) paints [3208] [3209]. However, if the paints have a high zinc content, their residual concentration of cadmium shall be as low as possible and shall at all events not exceed 0,1 % by mass. In any case, whatever their use or intended final purpose, finished articles or components of articles manufactured from the substances and preparations listed above coloured with cadmium shall not be placed on the market if their cadmium content (expressed as Cd metal) exceeds 0,01 % by mass of the plastic material. 2. However, paragraph 1 does not apply to articles to be coloured for safety reasons. 3. Shall not be used to stabilize the finished articles listed below manufactured from polymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride: - packaging materials (bags, containers, bottles, lids) [3923 29 10] [3920 41] [3920 42] - office or school supplies [3926 10] - fittings for furniture, coachwork or the like [3926 30] - articles of apparel and clothing accessories (including gloves) [3926 20] - floor and wall coverings [3918 10] - impregnated, coated, covered or laminated textile fabrics [5903 10] - imitation leather [4202] - gramophone records [8524 10] - tubes and pipes and their fittings [3917 23] - swing doors - vehicles for road transport (interior, exterior, underbody) - coating of steel sheet used in construction or in industry - insulation for electrical wiring. In any case, whatever their use or intended final purpose, the placing on the market of the above finished articles or components of articles manufactured from polymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride, stabilized by substances containing cadmium shall be prohibited, if their cadmium content (expressed as Cd metal) exceeds 0,01 % by mass of the polymer. These provisions enter into force on 30 June 1994. 4. However, paragraph 3 does not apply to finished articles using cadmium-based stabilizers for safety reasons. 5. Cadmium plating means any deposit or coating of metallic cadmium on a metallic surface. Shall not be used for cadmium plating metallic articles or components of the articles used in the sectors/applications listed below: (a) equipment and machinery for: - food production [8210] [8417 20] [8419 81] [8421 11] [8421 22] [8422] [8435] [8437] [8438] [8476 11] - agriculture [8419 31] [8424 81] [8432] [8433] [8434] [8436] - cooling and freezing [8418] - printing and book-binding [8440] [8442] [8443] (b) equipment and machinery for the production of: - industrial handling equipment and machinery [8425] [8426] [8427] [8428] [8429] [8430] [8431] - road and agricultural vehicles [chapter 87] - rolling stock [chapter 86] - vessels [chapter 89] In any case, whatever their use or intended final purpose, the placing on the market of cadmiumplated articles or components of such articles used in the sectors/applications listed in (a) and (b) above and of articles manufactured in the sectors listed in (b) above shall be prohibited. 6. The provisions referred to in paragraph 5 are also applicable to cadmiumplated articles or components of such articles when used in the sectors/applications listed in (a) and (b) below and to articles manufactured in the sectors listed in (b) below: (a) equipment and machinery for the production of: - paper and board [8419 32] [8439] [8441] - textiles and clothing [8444] [8445] [8447] [8448] [8449] [8451] [8452] (b) equipment and machinery for the production of: - industrial handling equipment and machinery [8425] [8426] [8427] [8428] [8429] [8430] [8431] - road and agricultural vehicles [chapter 87] - rolling stock [chapter 86] - vessels [chapter 89 7. However, the restrictions in paragraphs 5 an 6 do not apply to: -articles and components of the articles used in the aeronautical, aerospace, mining, offshore and nuclear sectors whose applications require high safety standards and in safety devices in road and agricultural vehicles, rolling stock and vessels, - electrical contacts in any sector of use, on account of the reliability required of the apparatus on which they are installed. Owing to the development of knowledge and techniques in respect of substitutes less dangerous than cadmium and its compounds, the Commission shall, in consultation with the Member States, assess the situation at regular intervals in accordance with the procedure laid down in Art 113(3) of the present Regulation Use or uses that remain allowed: All other uses not listed above. The final regulatory action was based on a risk or hazard evaluation: Yes Summary of the final regulatory action: Shall not be used to give colour to finished articles manufactured from the substances and preparations listed below. Certain exceptions apply. The reasons for the final regulatory action were relevant to: Human health and environment Summary of known hazards and risks to human health: The compound is accumulated in the body in the liver and kidneys and is excreted very slowly. Cadmium containing dust or fumes are irritating to the respiratory system when inhaled. The symptoms may appear some time after exposure and can result in permanent lung damage, possibly also death due to oedema of the lungs. After ingestion the most prominent consequences are irritation in the gastrointestinal tract with pains, diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps. Death may occur during the next 24 hours due to shock, or after a couple of weeks due to various subsequent effects. With constant exposure to small amounts of cadmium, the kidneys are the most vulnerable organ. Inhalation of high doses during short periods of time (0.5 mg/m3 for 8 h) or low doses for long periods of time (14 ug/m3 during 35 years of work) may give lung damage. In the human body cadmium is transported by a protein called metallothionein, to the kidneys where it is accumulated and leads to injuries. After exposure to 5ug cadmium fumes per day during a whole working life, a few percent of the exposed persons may suffer from slight kidney damage. This compound has caused birth defects in two different animals species. Summary of known hazards and risks to the environment: Very toxic to aquatic organisms. May cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. Date of entry into force of the final regulatory action: 01/01/2001 |