Survey of Chemical Substances in Consumer Products, No. 59 – Survey and assessmens of chemical substances in glass and porcelain colours

Survey and assessmens of chemical substances in glass and porcelain colours

1 Introduction

Glass and porcelain colours, as well as window colours, are hobby products for children and adults. The products are used for decoration of glass, bowls etc. with following hardening and burning in an ordinary oven for 40 minutes at 160°C. Some products are CE labelled and as such meant for play use for children below the age of 14. CE labelled products must observe current regulations for toys and are submitted to restrictions related to content and emission of certain substances harmful to health. As not all consumers are familiar with the labelling, DEPA assesses that children below the age of 14 have a risk of getting in contact with glass and porcelain colours which are not CE labelled.

The CE labeling indicates that the toy meets the safety requirements, set out the in Danish Consumer Agency's Statutory Order no. 329 of 23 May 1995 on safety requirements to toy and products which, due to their outward appearance, may be mistaken with food products. Considering the chemical properties of the toy, the requirements are that the toy is produced so that it does not present any health risk. It is the responsibility of the toy manufacturer to observe this.

The rules apply both when the toy is:

used in the intended way, and
used in a way which children could be expected to use it.

In general, the toy must not contain dangerous substances in amounts that represents a health risk, i.e. substances that are classified as dangerous and on the List of Dangerous Substances, or which meet the criteria for classification according to the Statutory Order no. 329 of the Ministry of the Environment dated 16 May 2002 on classification, packing, labelling, sale and storage of chemical substances and products. Chemical toys, as defined in DS/EN 71-4 on experimental sets for chemistry experiments and equivalent activities and DS/EN 71-5 about chemical toys (sets) other than sets for chemistry experiments, can be marketed if the content of dangerous substances are below a certain low maximum concentration limit if the chemical substances are necessary for the functioning of the toy.

DEPA's assessment is that CE marked hobby paint products must contain maximum 1% substances that are harmful to health, local irritant or corrosive, where 1% is the so-called de minimis limit. However, this is not relevant if the products are comprised by the standards on sets for chemical use or other chemical toy.

The CE labelling also implies that the toy meets the requirements of maximum labelling of substances with a considerable health impact. Such substances as lead, cadmium, mercury, selenium, chromium, barium, arsenic and antimony.

Exposure to the product substances may occur in form of direct contact with fingers, hands and face and by inhalation. Exposure to the environment is possible when the brushes are cleaned after usage and when the product is disposed of.

A survey of which substances the consumers and the environment may be exposed to by using glass and porcelain colours is thus relevant and necessary.

The products are sold for private use and have a chemical composition that typically does not require application to the product register. It is thus necessary to obtain information of the content from suppliers and producers. Furthermore, a literature search was carried out for typical constituent substances.

The survey was partly based on literature information, available information from the Internet and partly on information from safety data sheets, suppliers, producers and applicators of chemical products. The project team also contacted the Danish Council for Creative and Hobby Materials (Fællesråd for formnings- og hobbymaterialer). From a consultant, Chemtox, working with the assessment of chemical products in view of their registration in the product register and elaboration of safety data sheets, a list of constituents in glass and porcelain colours was supplied. For confidentiality reasons there is no information about amounts or relation to product and producer names.

Finally, a number of stores were visited to examine the product range and product information on the package.

10 different glass and porcelain colours in different colours were purchased in view of chemical analysis. Subsequently, 9 chemical substances were selected and based on the survey and on results from the chemical analysis of these substances; a toxicological profile was made covering both human toxicological and eco toxicological data.

In agreement with the importers the analyses of 2-butanonoxime were repeated in 2004 on new versions of four products.