A new report has been published by ECHA.

This report details the impacts of REACH authorisation on trichloroethylene from its inclusion on the Candidate List in 2010 until January 2022.

The need to obtain authorisation significantly reduced the use of TCE. Its annual use in the EU has dropped more than 95 % from around 50 000 tonnes to an estimated 1 200 tonnes in the past 12 years. In industrial metal parts cleaning, its use has stopped altogether.

The report also concludes that authorisation has reduced the risks related to TCE use. At the same time, it recognises that alternatives may pose risks to people and the environment.