Speciality Chemicals Magazine JAN / FEB 2024 | Page 38

Dean Winder of CIRS Europe updates us on the latest progress with K-REACH

Regulatory outlook & update on K-REACH

Dean Winder of CIRS Europe updates us on the latest progress with K-REACH
Figure 1 - K-REACH registrations & notifications

The Act on the Registration & Evaluation of Chemicals ( known as K-REACH ) passed the plenary session of the National Assembly in Korea on 30 April 2013 and came into force on 1 January 12015 . In December 2016 , the Ministry of the Environment ( MoE ) began revising the regulation and the amended K-REACH came into force on 1 January 2019 . The purpose of K-REACH is to protect public health and the environment .

Registration & notification
Enterprises that intend to manufacture in or import chemical substances into South Korea are obliged to complete K-REACH registration if the volume is > 100 kg / year for new substances or > 1 tonne / year , for existing substances . Deadlines for registration broadly follow tonnage bands :
• Carcinogenic , mutagenic and reprotoxic ( CMR ) substances at > 1 tonne / year and all substances at > 1,000 tonnes / year : 31 December 2021
• > 100 tonnes / year : 31 December 2024
• > 10 tonnes / year : 31 December 2027
• > 1 tonne / year : 31 December 2030
New substances manufactured or imported in quantities of > 100 kg / year must be registered prior to manufacture or importation . A grace period for pre-registered substances is granted to existing substances made or imported in quantities of > 1 tonne / year . Foreign manufacturers importing chemical
Table 1 - Data requirements per tonnage band for TII registration
Physio-Chem
Toxicity
Eco Toxicity
0.1-1 tonne 1-10 tonne 10-100 tonne 100-1000 tonne 1000 + tonne
Physical state Water solubility Melting / freezing Boiling point Vapour pressure
Partition coefficient n-octanol / water
Density Granulometry
Flammability Explosive properties Oxidising properties
Viscosity Dissociation constant
Acute tox . oral or inhalation
Ames
Skin irritation / corrosion
Skin sensitisation
Acute tox . fish Ready biodegradability Acute tox . faphnia
38 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981