SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is advising stakeholders that the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has published a new cost-effective qualitative method for detecting the presence of nickel in consumer products.
The new test method is CEN/TR 12471:2022 – ‘Screening for the presence of nickel in articles which are inserted into pierced into pierced parts of the human body and articles intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin’.
Issued in February 2022, it contains a screening methodology that is based on the formation of a red colored metal complex when nickel ions react with dimethylglyoxime in the presence of ammonia. To create the conditions of real-life usage, it incorporates a pretreatment step that uses artificial sweat and heat to induce corrosion on the product’s surface and increasing sensitivity. It also includes a detailed procedure for confirmation of the presence of nickel using dithiooxamide.
Stakeholders should be aware of the following provisions in CEN/TR 12471:2022:
- EN 1811 (or EN 16128 for spectacle frames and sunglasses) confirmed as the reference method for nickel release
- EN 1811, or EN 12472 followed by EN 1811, acknowledged as the quantitative test for verifying compliance with entry 27 to Annex XVII of Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH)
- A positive result during the screening test may not be compliant with the respective nickel release limits falling under entry 27 to Annex XVII of REACH
For an overview of the test method and results, review SGS’s original SafeGuardS 053/22.
The standard is considered effective immediately.
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SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full CEN Issues CEN/TR 12471:2022 for Nickel Screening SafeGuardS.
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For further information contact:
Dr. HingWo Tsang
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel: (+852) 2774 7420
Email: crs.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/cgnr
LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail
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