SVHC Substances of Very High Concern - TX

Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) is a legal classification of chemicals under the European Union's primary chemical regulation, REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006).

This taxonomy page defines the SVHCs that must be tracked for packaging compliance, separate from other specific restrictions like those for Heavy Metals or PFAS under the PPWR.

🏛️ Definition and Legal Basis

An SVHC is a substance that has been identified as having intrinsic hazardous properties, such as:

Being carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction (CMR).
Being persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT).
Causing other serious effects to human health or the environment (e.g., endocrine disruptors).

The Official List

There is no fixed list of SVHCs. The official list is called the "Candidate List of substances of very high concern for Authorisation" and is maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Link to the candidate list

This list is dynamic and is updated twice per year as new substances are identified. All compliance checks must be made against the most current version of this list.

The Threshold That Matters: 0.1% w/w

For packaging (which is defined as an "article" under REACH), a legal obligation is triggered if any single SVHC from the Candidate List is present in any component in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w).

This is the threshold (equivalent to 1000 mg/kg) that must be tracked.

If this threshold is exceeded, producers have legal obligations, including: 1. Duty to Communicate: Informing B2B customers of the substance's presence and name. 2. SCIP Database Notification: Submitting a notification to the ECHA **SCIP** (Substances of Concern in Products) database.

📋 SVHC Data in Your System

In this system, SVHCs are tracked using the following data points for each packaging component.

`SVHC_Present_Above_0_1_pct`: [Boolean] A True/False flag. "True" means one or more substances from the official ECHA Candidate List are present above the 1000 mg/kg threshold.
`SVHC_Substance_Name`: [String] The official chemical name of the SVHC.
`SVHC_CAS_Number`: [String] The CAS number of the SVHC.
`SVHC_EC_Number`: [String] The EC number of the SVHC.

💡 Common SVHCs Relevant for Packaging

The full ECHA Candidate List contains over 240 substances. The table below provides common examples relevant to packaging materials. This list is for illustration only and is not exhaustive.

Note: This list excludes the four heavy metals (Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Hexavalent Chromium) and PFAS, which are tracked separately in this system under their own PPWR-specific restrictions.

Substance Name	EC Number	CAS Number	Common Use in Packaging / Where to Look
Plasticizers (Phthalates)
Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)	204-211-0	117-81-7	Very common plasticizer, especially in flexible PVC; also in inks and adhesives.
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)	201-557-4	84-74-2	Plasticizer for PVC, adhesives, and coatings; solvent in inks.
Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)	201-622-7	85-68-7	Plasticizer for PVC, adhesives, sealants, and inks.
Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)	201-553-2	84-69-5	Plasticizer, often used as a substitute for DBP in PVC, inks, and adhesives.
Monomers & Other Additives
Bisphenol A (BPA)	201-245-8	80-05-7	Monomer for Polycarbonate (PC) plastic; used in epoxy resin linings for food/drink cans.
Melamine	203-615-4	108-78-1	Used in resins and polymers. Can be found in "bamboo-melamine" composite packaging.