The
German Product Safety Committee (Ausschuss für Produktsicherheit, AfPS) has
issued a new version of AfPS GS 2019:01 PAK, its specifications for polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under the voluntary Geprüfte Sicherheit Mark
(GS-Mark, ‘Tested Safety’ Mark).
AfPS
GS 2019:01 PAK covers the testing, evaluation and specifications on PAHs and will
become mandatory for the issuing of the GS-Mark on July 1, 2020. The latest
version, issued on April 10, 2020, clarifies the scope of materials falling
under Category 1.
These
are: materials intended to be placed in the mouth, or materials coming into long-term
contact with the skin (more than 30 seconds) during intended use, in either:
- Toys
falling under the scope of Directive 2009/48/EC (Toy Safety Directive, TSD) - Toys used by children up to three years of age
Under
AfPS GS 2019:01 PAK, the majority of PAHs are limited to <0.2 mg/kg, with
the exceptions being the sum of anthracene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene and
pyrene (<1 mg/kg), and naphthalene, also <1 mg/kg. In total, the sum of
all fifteen PAHs must be less than 1 mg/kg to comply with the requirements for
a Category 1 material being assessed for the GS-Mark.
For
a comprehensive look at the provisions, view Safeguard 057/20.
The GS-Mark relates to ready-to-use products –
for example, machines, hand tools, toys, electrical appliances, lights,
household appliances or furniture. These are outlined in Chapter 5 of the
German Product Safety law (ProdSG).
In Germany, PAHs are still considered a critical
group of substances in consumer products. According to §30 of the German Food
and Feed Code ((Lebensmittel-,
Bedarfsgegenstände- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch, LFGB) on general product safety, and recommendations from the German
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, BfR), it is important to reduce the
amount of PAHs in consumer products. Therefore, SGS suggests continued testing,
after June 30, 2020, against the list of 18 PAHs in the previous version, AfPS GS 2014:01 PAK, for non-GS Mark requirements.
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news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full German AfPS Publishes
Latest Version of PAH Specifications Under GS-Mark SafeGuardS.
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For further information contact:
Dr. Hingwo Tsang
Global
Information and Innovation Manager
Tel:(+852)
2774 7420
Dr. Udo Krischke
Global Technical Manager, RSTS
Tel: +49 6128 744 235
Email: crs.media@sgs.com
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