At present, many products in the market contain silver ions, such as silver ions anti-bacterial clothing, silver ions anti-bacterial mobile phone film, silver ions anti-bacterial wet wipes, etc. But a recent call from ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee to refuse approval to three silver-containing active substances may change that.

What did the BPC determine?

The Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) concluded that the following active substances should not be approved: silver zeolite, silver copper zeolite (CAS Number: 130328-19-7), and silver sodium hydrogen zirconium phosphate (CAS Number: 130328-19-7 EC Number: 422-570-3) for product-types 2 (Disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application on humans or animals) and 7 (Film preservatives). The committee’s opinion is that the active substances cannot be approved for product-types 2 and 7 because their efficacy is not sufficiently demonstrated.

The committee also discussed its draft opinions on the following active substances (with no final decision as of yet): silver zeolite for product-types 4 (Food and feed area disinfectants) and 9 (Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives); silver zinc zeolite (CAS Number: 130328-20-0) for product-types 2 (Disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals), 4 (Food and feed area disinfectants), 7 (Film preservatives) and 9 (Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives); silver copper zeolite (CAS Number: 130328-19-7) for product-types 4 (Food and feed area disinfectants) and 9 (Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives); and silver sodium hydrogen zirconium phosphate (CAS Number: 130328-19-7 EC Number: 422-570-3) for product-types 4 (Food and feed area disinfectants) and 9 (Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives). The discussion on these opinions will continue in a forthcoming meeting.

Recently, the European Commission has also published a list on the non-approval of certain active substances in biocidal products related to silver ions, including silver( EC Number: 231-131-3 CAS Number: 7440-22-4) for PT9 (Fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives), silver chloride (EC Number: 232-033-3 CAS Number: 7783-90-6) for PT10 (construction material preservatives) and PT11 (preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems), silver zinc zeolite (CAS Number: 130328-20-0) for PT5 (drinking water), and silver copper zeolite (CAS Number: 130328-19-7) for PT5 (drinking water).

In the same case as the one stated before, the industries that may result affected by this non-confirmed decision about the three active substances include: manufacturers which produce disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals, drinking water disinfectants, preservatives for construction materials and liquid-cooling and processing systems (and their downstream enterprises), as well as film preservatives enterprises such as paint, plastics, sealants, walls, adhesives, adhesives, paper, art works and so on, fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials, preservatives manufacturers and their downstream enterprises. The enterprise concerned will have to promptly stop applying for related product types containing silver ions and opt instead for other approved products with compliance. REACH24H will keep on reporting on ECHA’s official developments and decisions.

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