Apr 01, 2008

Developing Standards for REACH, RoHS and Similar Regulations Implementation

ASTM International Committee F40 on Declarable Substances in Materials will meet April 15-17, 2008, at the Renaissance Hotel in Brussels, Belgium. The purpose of the meeting is to continue developing the international standards needed in response to REACH and RoHS implementation. 

REACH, RoHS and ASTM Committee F40
The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive and Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) system — designed to help improve human health and the environment — affect companies and consumers throughout the global supply chain for manufactured goods.  ASTM International Committee F40 develops the standards to help stakeholders with the implementations of RoHS and REACH. 

Prior to the formation of ASTM Committee F40 in 2005, uncoordinated global activities for creating test methods, material specifications and reporting formats led to unnecessary duplication and hindered the development of international standards pending the implementation of the RoHS, REACH and similar regulations.  ASTM Committee F40 takes a bottom-up approach that focuses on testing the raw materials that go into finished goods in order to meet RoHS and REACH requirements, assisting manufacturers from many industries throughout their supply chains. 

Broadly accepted F40 standards include ASTM F2576, Standard Terminology Relating to Declarable Substances in Materials, and ASTM F2577, Standard Guide for Assessment of Materials and Products for Declarable Substances.

Meeting Highlights
On Tuesday, 15 April, Subcommittee F40.01 on Test Methods will review five proposed work items, among them WK11200, Standard Test Method for Identification and Quantification of Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium, and Bromine in Polymeric Material Using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDXRF). WK11200 will assist industry throughout the polymeric supply chain by testing the materials at the raw material level.

The committee is also developing a test method for measuring polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in recovered plastics, and a test method for the analysis of heavy metals in glass using X-Ray fluorescence.

On Wednesday, 16 April, Subcommittee F40.02 on Management Practices and Guides will continue drafting WK15430, Standard Guide for European Union's Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) Supply Chain Information Exchange. WK15430 is being developed to assist industry with communications through the supply chain for REACH compliance. Providing a standard way to communicate will save money and reduce confusion.

On Thursday, 17 April, A workshop on REACH will be held.  Workshop speakers include meeting co-sponsor and Committee F40 vice chairman Taco Van Der Maten of PANalytical; meeting co-sponsor Dirk Wissmann of SPECTRO Analytical Instruments, a division of AMETEK Inc.; and Kristina Nordlander in Sidley Austin’s Brussels office.  A question and answer session will cap off the event. 

Open Participation
Participation in ASTM Committee F40 is open to all interested stakeholders.  The committee draws on the expertise of an international group of stakeholders representing trade associations, manufacturers, government regulators, consumers and academia, and encourages and promotes publications, research and other tools to facilitate RoHS and REACH compliance and standards development.  Currently, Europeans comprise one-fifth of the committee’s membership.

Members of ASTM Committee F40 have free access to the Enhesa EEE database that houses all regulations related to declarable substances.  The Enhesa database contains current legislation searchable by country; enforcement information; legislative proposals and white papers; links to government Web sites; and analysis of legislative impacts.

For meeting, workshop, membership and database information, contact Brynn Murphy, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9640; bmurphy@astm.org).  For more information about ASTM International Committee F40, visit www.astm.org/COMMIT/F40.htm. 

 

Release #7954