International. In 2019, concentration limits for methylisothiazolinone (MIT) specific substances will be reduced in many applications. Products that are preserved with MIT must be labeled with additional hazard warnings. Therefore, companies should prepare to switch to alternative active ingredients for paints, varnishes, adhesives, and washing and cleaning products in a timely manner.
"The trend is moving away from MIT, given these important limitations," said David Zilm, sales manager at Vink Chemicals. "Particularly affected by the sector are the uses of in-can preservation and lubricant additives for metallurgy."
Methylisothiazolinone is a proven preservative that has been used successfully for many years in paints, varnishes, adhesives, washing, care and cleaning products. However, the European Union (EU) has classified mixtures containing MIT as skin sensitisers according to Category 1A and have therefore set a new substance-specific concentration limit of 15 ppm.
The new limit is valid from 2019, this corresponds to a significant reduction from the current level of 100 ppm. Therefore, a mixture containing MIT at a concentration of 15 ppm or higher should be marked with the H317 hazard warning "May cause an allergic skin reaction." "For do-it-yourself applications, the H317 risk statement is simply unthinkable," Zilm said.
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