European Chemicals Bureau Publish Environmental Part of TBBPA EU Risk Assessment

An update on the status of the environmental part of TBBPA EU Risk Assessment was recently published by the European Chemicals Bureau (ECB). This follows publication of the human health part last year which identified no risks.

The environmental part of TBBPA EU Risk Assessment is expected to be finalized mid 2007. The update from the ECB indicates that emissions of TBBPA when added to plastics can cause risks in some scenarios for surface water, sediment and soil.

No concern has been identified in practice by the risk assessment for TBBPA when used as a monomer to be reacted into the epoxy resins for the production of printed circuit board laminates. The ECB mentioned a theoretical scenario where risk reduction could operate for reactive use in cases where sewage sludge is spread to agricultural land, but there is no need for this in practice as all user sites send their industrial sludge to incineration or controlled landfills.

EBFRIP believes that most of the risks identified for additive application are manageable through a Voluntary Emissions Control Action Programme (VECAP)2. To date, more than 2/3 in volumes of TBBPA additive customers in Europe have already committed to control and reduce their emissions. EBFRIP will work with the UK – in charge of TBBPA Risk assessment for the EU- who will begin draft a strategy to reduce the risks identified for the above mentioned additive scenarios.