| EU Exempts Deca-BDE from RoHS |
 |
 |
| Written by Mike Buetow | |||
| Monday, 17 October 2005 06:11 | |||
|
BRUSSELS -- The EU has exempted the flame retardant known as Deca-BDE from the Directive on the
Restriction of Hazardous Substances, following
an intensive review. Germany's EPA is opposing the move. The EU published its decision -- the final step in the RoHS regulatory procedure for adopting exemptions -- on Oct. 15. This means Deca-BDE can continued to be used. The Commission’s decision was based on a 10-year EU risk assessment which evaluated 588 studies and concluded that the use of Deca-BDE does not pose health or environmental risks. The decision is in line with the majority opinion of EU Member States which by a two-to-1 margin voted last month to exempt Deca-BDE. Deca-BDE is a brominated flame retardant used to prevent ignition and slow the spread of fires in the plastic components of electrical and electronics equipment, as well as in the textiles and transportation industries. The move is opposed by the German Federal Environmental Agency ("Umweltbundesamt" or UBA). In a press statement, the UBA said that lifting the ban on Deca-BDE would send the wrong signal to industry. Many manufacturers, according to the UBA, have already voluntarily switched to substitutes and an exemption for Deca-BDE would render their investments worthless. The UBA has argued that Deca-BDE should be prohibited based on its properties, including its persistence and alleged dioxin and furan release upon combustion. Further, there are substitutes for Deca-BDE in all areas of its application, the UBA argues.
|
|||
| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 October 2005 07:31 ) |
Columns
| No Main Point |
Check out this exchange from Jabil's recent quarterly conference call: |
| Read more... |
| Steve Case, RIP |
Our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of CyberOptics founder Steve Case, who died in a plane crash Tuesday. |
| Read more... |
Features
| Cell Efficiency is Key to Success of Photovoltaics |
| The iNEMI Roadmap spells out the plan for lowest cost per watt. |
| Read more... |
| BGA Reballing Reliability |
| A study of multiple reball processes looks at copper dissolution and functionality. |
| Read more... |
Search
Search
Login
CB Login
Language
Language
Products
Young Jin Features Link Conveyors
Link conveyors for SPI NG/good buffer are designed to stack NG PCBs and transfer good PCBs to the next process using FIFO. Features include PCB shock-free and noncontact power transmission. Has...
Link conveyors for SPI NG/good buffer are designed to stack NG PCBs and transfer good PCBs to the next process using FIFO. Features include PCB shock-free and noncontact power transmission. Has...
Current Issue
