The German Environment Agency (UBA) has identified that 259 out of 13,405 substances in the REACH registration database meet the newly established criteria for classifying persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) chemicals, as well as very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) chemicals.
The agency recommends that 29 of these 259 substances be prioritized for immediate regulatory action. UBA has already selected five of the 29 for action due to their widespread presence and difficulty of removal: the “forever chemicals” PFHxA and TFA, melamine, benzotriazole, and 1,4-dioxane.
Of the substances analyzed, 64% had insufficient data to determine if they meet the criteria for PMT and vPvM classification.
Currently, PMT and vPvM substances are not listed under the chemical classification and labelling law, as these harmonized hazard classes were only recently introduced in the regulation.
UBA’s primary motivation for addressing PMT chemicals is to safeguard water resources.
(Source: ZeroPM workshop, “Achieving Zero Pollution of Persistent and Mobile Substances – Prioritization through Substance Grouping and Risk Assessment,” UBA presentation, 20 Sept. 2024; UBA report, “Prioritized PMT/vPvM Substances in the REACH Registration Database,” Sept. 2023)
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