On February 4, 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) officially announced the inclusion of "n-hexane" and "4,4'-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol and its salts" in the list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). As of now, the total number of SVHCs (also known as the Candidate List of substances of very high concern for Authorisation) has reached 253 entries.
Previously, the Member State Committee (MSC) unanimously agreed to identify n-hexane as an SVHC during its December 2025 meeting. This marks the first substance to be recognized as an SVHC candidate based on equivalent level of concern (ELOC) due to neurotoxicity, rather than traditional hazard categories such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or reproductive toxicity. The other substance, 4,4'-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol (Bisphenol AF) and its salts, was identified as an SVHC due to its definite reproductive toxicity without requiring committee involvement.
Additionally, the meeting minutes noted that the SVHC identification proposal for 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenylmethane (Bisphenol F, BPF) was withdrawn prior to the meeting; however, the status of this substance in the ECHA SVHC Intentions Register remains "Identification ongoing." Therefore, whether this substance has been completely removed from SVHC identification awaits final official confirmation.
