Topics | Umweltbundesamt

The AskREACH project aims at raising awareness on Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) in articles among the European population, retailers and industry. AskREACH developed the smartphone app Scan4Chem which can be used to readily receive information on SVHCs in consumer articles or send information requests to suppliers. The European Chemicals Regulation REACH provides the legal framework. read more

The Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030 are only achievable if chemicals are used in the right extent, says the German Environment Agency (UBA). The risks for health and the environment need to be globally minimized. At the same time, the opportunities for the societies by chemicals need to be maximized worldwide. Read more in our Thought Starter. read more

For the German Environment Agency, the main aim of chemicals management is to minimise negative effects on our environment and health, conserve resources and, at the same time, maximise the use of chemical applications for sustainable development within planetary boundaries. However, we will only be able to achieve this allegedly straightforward objective if a large number of actors and instr... read more

The group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exceeds the values of the environmental quality standards for chemicals regulated in the German Ordinance on Surface Waters. read more

Persistent organic pollutants are subject to long-range transport and also occur in the environment far from their source. They accumulate in the suspended solids of watercourses and in the food chain. They are toxic to humans and wildlife. read more

Certain chemical substances are harmful to man and the environment. As part of the “AskREACH” EU LIFE project, staff in companies which produce or sell consumer products are able to partake in an online survey on “Substances of Very High Concern” in manufactured products until 30 September 2018. The results will be incorporated in the development of a Europe wide database and app. read more

Substances, as they are referred to on the topic-related web pages here, are chemical elements, compounds and mixtures that have become relevant on account of their chemical, physical and toxicological properties, in particular with regard to their potential to affect human health.  read more

Substances and mixtures can pose a hazard to water bodies. To protect the water bodies from detrimental changes to their characteristics it is required that substances and mixtures that are handled or stored in facilities in Germany are classified for their water-hazardous properties. read more