Dataharvest 2015

Chemicals are everywhere and in everything – whether they are naturally occurring or man-made. Since 2007, the European Chemicals Agency has been gathering information on all the chemicals used in Europe today in a number of massive databases. Specialists from ECHA will be present to explain what information is there, the underlying legal basis and the work of the agency. The data includes the exact chemical description of the substance as well as the short, medium and long term impact of the chemical on human health and the environment. The aim of the data is to enable chemicals to be used safely. The most hazardous ones are designated as “substances of very high concern”. These may cause cancer, mutations and have implications for human fertility and reproduction for example. The aim of the EU law is to phase them out.

http://echa.europa.eu/