Existing chemicals high production volume

For existing substances, the data collection consists of three phases. The ESR was initially concerned with the so-called HPVCs (High Production Volume Chemicals). HPVCs are those substances, which are covered by the data collection phases I and II of the ESR, i.e., those substances which have been imported or produced in quantities exceeding 1000 tons per year and produced/imported between March 23 1990 and March 23 1994. During phase I, 1884 substances were extracted from EINECS - referred to as the HPVC list these substances are listed in Annex I of ESR. The total list of substances reported under phases I and II of the Regulation is now referred to as the EU-HPVC list. 

In the EU, 141 of existing high production volume chemical substances have been prioritized for an in-depth risk assessment, see Section 2.4.1.4 for details. 

With so many chemicals in existence, the USEPA has had to set priorities for testing chemicals. First, low-volume chemicals, which are produced or imported at a rate of less than 10,000 pounds per year, were excluded. Approximately 25,000 chemicals are in this category. Second, polymers, which typically are not toxic, were dropped from the list, which left approximately 15,000 nonpolymer chemicals produced or imported in quantities from 10,000 pounds per year up to 1 million pounds per year. As a result, the USEPA has focused its testing on the 3000 to 4000 high-production-volume (HPV) and nonpolymer chemicals (USEPA, 1998b). 

Mononitrophenols exist in three isomeric forms 2-nitrophenol (or ortho- or o-), 3-nitrophenol (or meta- or m-), and 4-nitrophenol (or para- or p-). In this document, the two high-production- volume chemicals, 2-nitrophenol and 4-nitrophenol will be discussed. Data pertaining to the chemical identities of these two nitrophenols are listed in Table 3-1. 

Two screening reproduction toxicity study protocols were prepared by the OECD for initial evaluation of existing chemicals, especially of existing high production volume chemicals but also for initial exploratory tests at an early stage of assessing the toxicological properties of new chemicals or chemicals of concern. 

The databases are not only looked upon with respect to their parameters but also with respect to some selected chemicals. The selection of a pragmatic number of existing chemical substances, which are not only relevant in one aspect, is difficult and here solved rather pragmatically. The following 12 high production volume chemicals are chosen which are listed in Table 3. 

United States Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Existing Chemicals Assessment Division. Information packet on the OECD Screening Information Data Set (SIDS) Program for high production volume (HPV) chemicals, 1992. 

Council Regulation 793/93 divides existing chemicals into two categories High Production Volume Chemicals (HPVC), produced or imported in quantities exceeding 1000 tonnes per year and Low Production Volume Chemicals (LPVC), produced or imported in quantities between 10 and 1000 tonnes per year. The hst of HPVCs includes 22 phthalic acid esters, both single compounds and technical mixtures with dilferent isomers. A further 11 phthalates are compiled in the list of LPVC. The most commonly used phthalate esters are DEHP (which accounts for around half of consumption in Western Europe, DINP and DIDP, which represents the 52.2% of phthalate consumption in the United States and more than 85% of phthalate esters production in Western Europe. ... 

The Existing Substances Regulation passed in 1993 initiated the assessment of existing chemicals. This effort compiled existing information on nearly 3,000 high production volume chemicals and almost 8,000 low production volume chemicals. There were 141 substances identified for risk assessment. Some of these substances were regulated under the Limitations Directive. 

In the United States, CAS number 88-73-3, Benzene, l-chloro-2-nitro-, is listed on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Non-Confidential Inventory with no Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) [38]. It has been designated as a High Production Volume (HPV) chemical [39]. In the European Union (EU), ONCB has been notified under REACH as an intermediate and as a chemical produced or imported at 100-1,000 tormes per armum. The REACH notifications refer to use as an intermediate in closed processes, and to use as a laboratory reagent [40]. In China, ONCB is listed on the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances Produced or Imported in China (lESC) it is also listed in the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals [41]. 

Some chemicals sold in small volumes cannot withstand a lengthy research and development process. Large R D costs would be spread over too low a sales volume to allow the product to compete with existing chemicals. Only those which are obviously essential or obviously provide significant technological advance can support high initial costs. 

In accordance with EEC ordinance no. 793/93 (existing substances ordinance) dated 1993, manufacturers and importers have to submit the available data for every substance listed in EINECS to the European Chemicals Bureau (ECB), if their production volume or import volume was in excess of 10 t/a in a predefined reference period. All in all, the industry has submitted data covering the basic data set of European chemicals legislation in only 14% of cases for high-volume existing substances (2500 substances > 1000 t/a) . Details concerning exposure were even more patchy. 

The European Chemical Bureau (ECB) has an equivalent collection of high- and low-production volume chemicals — the International Uniform Chemicals Information Database (IUCLID ecb.jrc.it/existing-chemicals/). IUCLID has no longer toxicological information accessible to the user and has limited search options. There is also a CD-ROM version, available for a nominal cost. 

Essentially, then, no new, large-volume, highly profitable fibers have been developed since the mid-1950s. Instead, the existing ones have become commodities with all the economic impact thereby implied. No major chemical engineering processes have been added, although the previously described ones have been modified to allow for spinning of liquid crystalline polymers or the formation of gel spun fibers. Research activity has been reduced and centered essentially on modifications of fiber size, shape, and properties, and many variants now are successfully marketed. Production volumes have increased enormously for nylon, polyester, and polyolefin. 

---