The US state
of Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has added perfluorooctane sulfonic
acid (PFOS) and its salts to a list of priority chemicals (PCs) that require
reporting in specific children’s products.
In addition
to PFOS, the salts covered in the new Chapter 890 are:
- Potassium perfluorooctane sulfonate
- Lithium perfluorooctane sulfonate
- Ammonium perfluorooctane sulfonate
- Diethanolammonium perfluorooctane sulfonate
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Maine enacted
the ‘Toxic Chemicals in Children’s Products’ law in 2008. It requires
manufacturers and/or distributors of children’s products to disclose specific
information if a PC is added to a product and exceeds the de minimis level. This
requirement does not apply to, among other things, inaccessible components. The
list of PCs is evaluated and updated periodically.
‘Children’s product’ is defined as a
consumer product that is intended for, made for, or marketed for use by a child
under 12 years of age. It also includes any consumer product that contains a
chemical of high concern (CHC) that when used or disposed of will likely result in a child
under 12 years of age or a fetus being exposed to that chemical.
Chapter 890 is just the latest rule
chapter to be issued. Products included under its scope include:
- Childcare
articles - Clothing,
footwear, sleepwear - Cookware,
tableware, reusable food, and beverage containers - Cosmetics
and personal care products - Craft
supplies - Electronic
devices - Household
furniture and furnishings - Toys
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Exemptions include:
- Used
products - Containers
or packaging for food or beverage products, unless they are marketed or
intended for use by children under three years of age - Motor
vehicles or watercrafts, except detachable car seats
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The new rule came into effect on July 28,
2020 and the deadline for reporting is January 24, 2021 (180 days from the
effective date). Manufacturers or distributors of products under the scope of
the chapter, but which are not offered for sale until after January 24, 2021,
are obliged to report to the DEP within 30 days.
Since
2011, other rule chapters that have been issued include:
- Chapter
882: Bisphenol A (BPA) - Chapter
883: Nonylphenols and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPs and NPEOs) - Chapter
884: Cadmium - Chapter
885: Formaldehyde - Chapter
886: Mercury - Chapter
887: Arsenic - Chapter
888: Benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate
(DEP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) - Chapter
889: Decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca-BDE) and
hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD/HBCDD)
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Toy & Juvenile Product Services
SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that products comply with
relevant standards for juvenile products and childcare articles. They provide
consulting, training, product development, testing, audit, and inspection
services to ensure that products comply with strict regulations worldwide,
demonstrating the safety and quality of juvenile products being brought to the
market. Learn more about SGS’s
Toy & Juvenile Product Services.
SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with
the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full Maine,
USA, Designates PFOS Chemicals for Reporting in Children’s Products SafeGuardS.
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Tel:(+852) 2774 7420
Email: crs.media@sgs.com
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