ECHA has announced a preliminary study to investigate the risks relating to the use of five cobalt salts. The salts – cobalt sulphate, dichloride, dinitrate, carbonate and diacetate – were included in the agency's third recommendation for authorisation, but the Commission postponed its decision on the substances in order to clarify if the risks would be better controlled via restriction under REACH (CW 13 December 2012).
The agency's initial investigation will focus on the following uses, identified in registration dossiers:
- surface treatment;
- pigment in PET plastic;
- catalyst for the production of PTA, IPA and DMT;
- catalysts in oxygen-scavenging processes;
- animal feed and fertilisers;
- biogas production;
- culture media in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and in vitro diagnostics; and
- humidity indicator cards.
http://chemicalwatch.com/14084/echa-investigates-uses-of-five-cobalt-salts
