Some proposals on regulation of highly hazardous chemicals in articles

When developing safety regulations for chemicals, the international society is constantly searching for safer analogues of highly hazardous chemicals to use as alternatives in various products. Within the Scientific Research Work under the State Program ‘Provision of Chemical and Biological Safety in 2021–2024’, The Russian Register of Potentially Hazardous Chemical and Biological Substances of the Federal Scientific Center of Hygiene named after F.F. Erisman of Rospotrebnadzor has developed a concept on replacement of highly hazardous chemicals in various products (food products, synthetic detergents and household chemicals, pesticides, paints and varnishes, basic chemicals) with their safer analogues. Still, we should highlight that regulation of highly hazardous chemicals in articles has not been developed sufficiently in the RF. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to provide scientific substantiation for criteria and rules for assigning chemicals in articles as prohibited and (or) restricted. Materials this study is based on are represented by the regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, EEC and the EU (in particular, Decrees, Resolutions, Technical Regulations, Directives, Regulations, etc. in the field of safe management of substances of concern), as well as domestic and international databases, scientific articles and monographs containing information on the toxic properties of chemicals. In order to develop effective measures to minimize the risk of exposure to chemicals in articles and their safe management at all stages of a life cycle, the study provides substantiation of criteria and rules for assigning chemicals in articles as prohibited and (or) restricted and proposes a mechanism for the creation of a National list of chemicals of concern in articles. When created, this List will allow monitoring of their circulation on the territory of the Russian Federation, proper waste disposal, and stimulating research work to find alternatives.