vPvB, very Persistent very Bioaccumulative Substances

Very Persistent very Bioaccumulative Substances, vPvB, is a new type of hazard which was brought into the EU in 2001 , and it has since been brought into the scope of the REACH regulation.

The concept is similar to PBT, Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic substances, but this is for non-toxic materials which do not degrade (hence very Persistent), and can cause harm through their build-up in animals over time (hence very Bioaccumulative).

Like PBT substances, vPvB substances are identified in two ways:

• by comparison with the list of properties in Annex XIII of REACH, which indicates whether a substance is potentially vPvB or is not vPvB
• if the substance is potentially vPvB, an emissions assessment has to be carried out for REACH registration purposes

Like PBT substances, there is also an EU process for formally identifying vPvB substances.

The benefits and drawbacks of this novel vPvB classification are the same as those discussed for PBT, see https://ttenvironmenta.wpengine.com/clp-knowledgebase/pbt-persistent-bioaccumulative-and-toxic-substances/ .

Substances which are identified as vPvB do not have any labelling requirements under CLP, but it does trigger the requirement for an SDS for a substance or mixture (down to 0.1% w/w vPvB content), even where the product is not classified under CLP (this is on request of a recipient, rather than automatic provision of an SDS, although most companies issue all their SDSs on or before the date of first supply).  There are also information requirements for the SDS , in section 2.3, other hazards, and section 12.5, where the results of any vPvB testing and evaluation should be listed.