Bureau REACH notified the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) at the end of August about the intention to include graphene on the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) for 2024. This may also apply to several subforms of graphene, such as graphene oxide.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) expresses significant concern about the lack of adequate test methods for 2D nanomaterials. A substance evaluation could provide clarity in this regard. Internationally, this could impact upcoming major, innovative research projects, as there is heavy emphasis on the development of new 2D nanomaterials.
An initial screening of available data indicates a lack of information, particularly for graphene. Conversely, toxicity has been observed for graphene oxide across various endpoints. Of all specific forms, the "Reaction product of Graphite, acid-treated and potassium permanganate" has been nominated for CoRAP due to concerns about potential inhalation toxicity.
ECHA is willing to prioritize graphene over other nanomaterials in their Compliance Check planning. However, they intend to wait until at least 2025, as studies from the Comprehensive Chemicals Strategy (CCH) may be available by then. These studies will clarify which substance forms require additional information in a substance evaluation procedure. Following discussions with the ministry, we have decided to include this graphene compound on the CoRAP for 2025.