Recent reclassifications of a number of substances were published in the EU's official journal meaning that detergent makers will have to reduce their use of borates by June 2013.
The additions to REACH's annex XVII also include nickel compounds and petrol derivatives. These new classifications of nickel and borate were unsuccessfully challenged.
Most of these new restrictions will apply shortly however detergent manufactures have longer to phase out borates as some will need time to find suitable replacements
Although borate concentrations in household detergents and cleaning products are not high enough to pose an unacceptable health risk on their own, consumers may be exposed to the substances from a number of differing sources.
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