OECD High Production Volume (HPV) Program

 

Australia actively participates in the OECD High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals Program. The Program aims to cooperatively undertake initial assessment of HPV chemicals and agree on further work, based on collection and assessment of a Screening Information Data Set (SIDS) for HPV chemicals. When data gaps in health and environmental hazard information are identified or if the data are not considered adequate, testing will in principle be carried out

HPV chemicals are chemicals reported to be produced or imported at levels greater than 1,000 tonnes per year in at least one OECD member country or in the European Union region. One of the main features of the Programme is that Member countries share the burden of investigating the chemicals and benefit from receiving data on the other priority HPV chemicals. Industry benefits, as the need for duplicate testing is eliminated

Australia has sponsored chemicals to the Program that were assessed as Priority Existing Chemicals (glutaraldehyde, 2-butoxyethanol and ortho-Dichlorobenzene) jointly sponsored for assessment 1,4-dioxane and N-vinyl-2- pyrrolidone, sponsored triclosan and co-sponsored with an industry consortium the hydrotrope group of surfactants, Australia also reviews draft reports prepared by other OECD countries discussed at SIDS Initial Assessment Meetings (SIAM).

NICNAS utilises OECD SIDS Initial Assessment Reports when conducting Priority Existing Chemical assessments where they are available, e.g. trichloroethylene, N vinyl pyrrolidone, short chain chlorinated paraffins, acrylamide and hydrofluoric acid

More information

• OECD HPV Program;

• OECD HPV Database;

• The OECD HPV Program hazard assessment documents.