European Directive 2002/95/EC, also known as the Restriction of (certain) Hazardous Substances or the RoHS Directive, was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in February of 2003. It was at this point that the RoHS Directive became law within Europe, which currently includes ~25 Member States. The RoHS Directive essentially states that electrical and electronic products put on the market within the EU shall not contain lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) after July 1, 2006.
This began a worldwide trend in many countries, as well as some states in the US, to adopt similar legislation controlling hazardous substances in electrical and electronic goods. Examples include China RoHS, Japan Green, Korea RoHS, and California Prop 65. Due to the many different requirements of such laws, many large companies have created their own Declarable Substance requirements and passed them down to their suppliers. These requirements attempt to be all-encompassing in order to assure that purchased materials and products will meet any requirements in any market around the world. In addition, some industry groups and trade associations have created their own guidelines and procedures in an attempt to provide some harmonized framework for collecting and managing this information.
However, the many versions of these requirements have created a logistical nightmare for companies trying to prove they sell compliant products. Many of the requirements were established without thought to the technical and analytical issues at hand. In fact, it may not be possible to prove or disprove the presence of many of the substances found on these lists. The absence of approved test methods and lack of certified reference materials makes the reliable analysis of many of these substances in finished goods extremely difficult.
Compounding this problem are new laws on the horizon that will cover even more products. Once again initiating in Europe, laws such as EuP and REACH will require extensive testing of all materials put on the market, regardless of their end use.
Ion Chromatograph
International trade will be greatly affected by this directive. Will you be ready?
What can IMR offer you:
We've been involved in this work almost from day one, working with clients to first understand the impact of these Directives and then developing sound, sensible methods to comply with them. We have been active at many levels of industry, trade, and government to be certain that a voice of the practical application of chemistry principles was heard and adhered to. We are also involved in the development of international standards and reference materials for the harmonization of Declarable Substance testing.
COMPREHENSIVE IMR offers comprehensive testing for Restricted and Declarable Substances using proven, well developed methods. We have processed thousands of samples in a short time using state-of-the-art analytical equipment and techniques.
FOCUSED IMR is focused on the future of Declarable Substance requirements and their impact on our clients. We stay current on the latest developments and share that knowledge with customers to avoid costly mistakes.
FLEXIBLE IMR will tailor analyses and report formats to the needs of each client. We are not a one size fits all laboratory.
Contact Don Shuman, VP-Sales & Marketing for more information about RoHS Testing Services.
