ECHA Public consultation – proposals for Harmonised Classification and Labelling (CLH) for 10 Copper Compound Substances

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has invited interested parties to comment on a number of proposals for harmonised classification and labelling (CLH) for 10 copper compound substances, all of which are active substances in biocidal products or plant protection products and are widely used as fungicidal and bacteriostatic substances in both agricultural and marine environments. The compounds that are either approved for biocidal use or are currently in the review of existing active substances are:

  • Copper (II) oxide
  • Copper sulphate pentahydrate
  • Copper thiocyanate
  • Dicopper oxide; copper (I) oxide

The other copper compounds are:

  • Bordeaux mixture; Reaction products of copper sulphate with calcium dihydroxide
  • Copper dihydroxide; copper (II) hydroxide
  • Copper flakes (coated with aliphatic acid)
  • Copper(II) carbonate-copper(II) hydroxide (1:1)
  • Dicopper chloride trihydroxide
  • Tetracopper hexahydroxide sulphate [1]
  • Tetracopper hexahydroxide sulphate hydrate [2]

The detailed proposal can be viewed on ECHA website and the public consultation lasts for 45 days. Comments should be submitted to ECHA using the dedicated webform by 3 February 2014.

Please respond direct to ECHA and not to HSE.

Potential impact considerations

If and when the above substances are put forward for inclusion in a future Adaptation to Technical Progress (ATP) HSE will seek comments on the potential impact of the proposed classification changes (costs, benefits, use of alternatives and so on).

Responding to ECHA’s consultation also provides an opportunity to alert the European Commission to the potential impacts of the proposed classification changes.

Source: HSE – UK

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