The second PMT Workshop 2018: “PMT substances under REACH”

The second PMT Workshop 2018: “PMT substances under REACH”Click to enlarge
The second PMT Workshop 2018: “PMT substances under REACH”
Source: Michael Neumann / UBA

The second PMT Workshop entitled "PMT and vPvM substances under REACH. Voluntary measures and regulatory options to protect the sources of drinking water" took place on the 13th-14th of March 2018 in Berlin. It was organized by UBA and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI). Over 100 experts from 15 nations representing the water suppliers, chemical industry, academia and regulators attended.

<– go back: Public Consultation (2016 – 2019) on the PMT/vPvM criteria | –> go forward: Utilization (2019 – ongoing) of the PMT/vPvM criteria

The workshop served as an area for all stakeholders to share their opinions on the proposed PMT/vPvM criteria at that time as well as their practical implementation experience under ⁠REACH⁠. NGI and the UBA presented the regulatory and scientific justification for the PMT/vPvM criteria. Discussions primarily focused on the proposed mobility criteria, with suggestions for different threshold values and requests for a development of the scientific rational behind the value. The benefits of implementing the PMT/vPvM criteria under REACH and possible future steps were also discussed. Some of the key messages brought into the development of the criteria were to include monitoring data as way to investigate false positives and negatives when applying the criteria. Case studies were used to highlight persistent and mobile substances that are found in the environment and in drinking water at high concentrations. Examples showed how regulatory and voluntary actions to reduce emissions led to noticeable reductions in concentrations in the local environment. Possible policy developments around the PMT/vPvM criteria were presented and a general consensus that voluntary measures by industry to protect the sources of our drinking water would be preferred to regulation by authorities.

<– go back: Public Consultation (2016 – 2019) on the PMT/vPvM criteria | –> go forward: Utilization (2019 – ongoing) of the PMT/vPvM criteria

Read the full story related to the development of the PMT/vPvM criteria under the EU´s chemical legislation REACH to identify PMT/vPvM substances: (01) –> Introduction to PMT/vPvM substances, (02) –> Emergence (2009 – 2015) of the PMT/vPvM criteria, (03) –> First PMT Workshop 2011 (04) –> Public Consultation (2016 – 2019) on the PMT/vPvM criteria, (05) –> Second PMT Workshop 2018, (06) –> Utilization (2019 – ongoing) of the PMT/vPvM criteria, (07) –> Third PMT Workshop 2021, (08) –> Media coverage and dissemination, (09) –> Frequently Asked Question (FAQ), (10) –> The final PMT/vPvM criteria