The SVHC list is at 253. For black masterbatch, two of the additions are worth understanding and one is worth being precise about.
Two substances joined the EU SVHC candidate list on 4 February 2026, taking it to 253 entries. Neither is a pigment, neither is a polymer and neither belongs in a black masterbatch formulation — but one of them was identified by a route that has no precedent on the list, and the status of a third substance, bisphenol F, is being widely misreported. Both points matter for anyone writing a compliance statement.
By Zoe Lin, Export Manager, E-LUCK (Guangdong Yijuyuan Plastic Industry Technology Co., Ltd.)
What was added on 4 February 2026
| Substance | CAS | Basis | Stated uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| n-Hexane | 110-54-3 | Specific target organ toxicity after repeated exposure, Art. 57(f) | Formulation, polymer processing, coatings, cleaning agents |
| BPAF and its salts 4,4’-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol | 1478-61-1 | Toxic for reproduction, Art. 57(c) | Process regulator and cross-linking agent; monomer for fluoropolymers |
| List status after the update: 253 entries across 36 updates; 1 substance pending — resorcinol (CAS 108-46-3), proposed on endocrine-disrupting properties for human health | |||
Two features of this update are worth noting beyond the names.
n-Hexane is the first substance listed on this basis
The Member State Committee unanimously identified n-hexane as an SVHC at its December 2025 meeting on the basis of equivalent level of concern for neurotoxicity. This is the first substance to enter the candidate list on an ELOC basis rather than through the classic carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity routes.
Why a buyer should care beyond the entry itself: it establishes that a substance can be listed for neurological harm even when it is neither a carcinogen nor a reproductive toxicant under the standard criteria. If your compliance review is built around those three endpoints, it has a gap in it. This is the reason we include REACH declarations that cover the full entry rather than a summary of the well-known classes.
Bisphenol F: what is actually true, and what is being said
Bisphenol F (BPF, CAS 620-92-2, EC 210-658-2) has been the subject of contradictory reports, and the confusion is worth resolving because it is being quoted in supplier declarations.
- BPF was first placed on the SVHC intention registry in June 2025, with public consultation from September 2025.
- That proposal was withdrawn before the December 2025 MSC meeting, so BPF was not added to the candidate list in the 4 February 2026 update.
- Its status on the intention registry remains “identification ongoing”, and the dossier is expected on 1 February 2027 with public consultation from 10 August 2026, proposed by Sweden.
- Net position: BPF is not on the candidate list today, and it may be later.
Several suppliers are writing declarations that treat BPF as already listed, and others write that it has been removed. Neither is right. The accurate statement is that the identification process is open. If a declaration you have received asserts either version definitively, that is a question to put back to the party who issued it.
What actually changes for a black masterbatch buyer
Honest answer: very little in formulation, and that is the point of the exercise rather than a disappointment.
- Neither addition belongs in our product. n-Hexane is a solvent; BPAF is a cross-linking agent and fluoropolymer monomer. Neither is a pigment, a carrier resin or an additive package in a black masterbatch.
- The obligations attach to the 0.1% threshold, whatever the substance. Where a listed substance exceeds 0.1% w/w in an article, Article 33 information transfer applies; above 1 tonne per year, Article 7(2) notification applies within six months of listing; SCIP reporting applies above 0.1% under the Waste Framework Directive.
- Two consequences bite in practice. Products containing listed substances above the threshold cannot obtain the EU Ecolabel, and a supplier who cannot tell you the substance status of a raw material will eventually not be able to complete your file.
Our REACH position is documented rather than asserted: our current test reports are published with their report numbers so they can be checked with SGS directly, and our company registration is verifiable on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.
Our position
Carbon black is not on the SVHC candidate list, and neither is polyethylene or polypropylene — which covers the pigment and the two carriers behind most of our grades. We state that plainly because it is checkable, not because it is a marketing advantage. Where a grade contains an additive that could bear on a listing question, we tell you which one and what its status is.
Questions buyers ask
How many substances are on the EU SVHC candidate list now?
253 entries, across 36 updates, following the addition of n-hexane and BPAF on 4 February 2026. One further substance, resorcinol, is pending. Note that some entries cover groups of substances, so the number of individual chemicals affected is larger than the entry count.
Is bisphenol F (BPF) on the SVHC candidate list?
No. BPF's identification proposal was withdrawn before the December 2025 MSC meeting, so it was not added in the February 2026 update. Its status on the intention registry remains identification ongoing, with a dossier expected on 1 February 2027 and public consultation from 10 August 2026. It may be listed later. Declarations stating that BPF is already listed, or that it has been removed, are both inaccurate.
Why is n-hexane's listing described as unprecedented?
It was identified on the basis of equivalent level of concern for neurotoxicity, which is the first substance to enter the candidate list on that basis rather than through carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity. It means a substance can be listed for neurological harm even when it is not a classic toxic endpoint, so compliance reviews built only around those three endpoints have a gap.
Does this affect black masterbatch formulations?
Not directly. n-Hexane is a solvent and BPAF is a cross-linking agent and fluoropolymer monomer; neither is a pigment, a carrier resin or an additive in a black masterbatch. Carbon black, polyethylene and polypropylene are not on the candidate list. The update matters because it changes what a complete compliance review has to cover.
What obligations come with a listing?
Above 0.1% w/w of a listed substance in an article, Article 33 information transfer to the recipient applies, with information available free on consumer request within 45 days. Above 1 tonne per year, Article 7(2) notification to ECHA is required within six months of the listing. Above 0.1%, SCIP reporting applies under the Waste Framework Directive. Products containing listed substances above the threshold cannot obtain the EU Ecolabel.
Related
- Carbon black is falling but the cost is not — the cost side of the same quarter
- Carbon black supply is re-sorting by country — where your pigment actually comes from
- REACH and RoHS for black masterbatch — the compliance framework that applies today
- UK REACH: nine new SVHC proposals — the parallel track running alongside the EU
- SGS test reports — our REACH documentation with verifiable report numbers
- Certifications — certificates with numbers and expiry dates