Alerts for products posing a risk to human health and the environment (Indicator)

Key messages: Restricted chemicals in consumer products such as phthalates and lead continue to put humans and the environment at risk. From 2015 to 2023, an average of 870 chemicals related alerts per year were reported to the EU Rapid Alert System. During that period, toys triggered the most alerts for risks to both humans and the environment. The number of alerts is influenced by EU and national initiatives for market surveillance of specific products or substances. This led to a spike of alerts in 2023, linked to a fragrance ingredient for example.

Chemical risk alerts reported to the EU Rapid Alert System by the EU-27 + Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, 2015-2023

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When a national enforcement authority identifies chemical risks in consumer products, it will warn counterparts in other countries by notifying the EU Rapid Alert System as part of the EU internal market surveillance of restricted chemicals. Notifications originate from product checks to ensure compliance with requirements for placing chemicals on the market.

From 2015 to 2023, an average of 870 alerts per year were reported regarding restricted chemicals. The three most alerted groups of chemicals due to risk to human health were phthalates, chromium (VI) and cadmium. In 2023, however, fragrance ingredient BMHCA (2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl) propionaldehyde) caused the highest number of alerts. Regarding environmental risks, the three most alerted groups of chemicals from 2015 to 2023 were lead, short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and cadmium.

Toys generated the most alerts overall, with detected chemicals posing a risk to both human health (2,665 alerts in total over nine years) and the environment (297 alerts); this also reflects market surveillance authorities’ specific focus on child health. In particular, alerts for phthalates were related to the substances DEHP, DBP and DINP known for example to have endocrine disrupting properties. In 2023, however, 1,012 human health risk alerts were linked to BMHCA, most likely due to a coordinated surveillance campaign following the ban of the substance in cosmetics.

From 2015 to 2023, the most frequently-alerted products due to human health risks (other than toys) were:

cosmetics (1,999 in total over nine years but predominantly in 2023);
chemical products such as household cleaning products (976);
jewellery (952 alerts); and
clothing, textiles and fashion items (715 alerts).

During the same timeframe, the most frequently alerted products due to environmental risks (other than toys) were:

electrical appliances and equipment (322);
motor vehicles (84);
hobby/sports equipment (65); and
clothing, textiles and fashion items (51).

The number of alerts is influenced by EU and national initiatives for market surveillance of specific products or substances. Stepping up enforcement activities at the EU level may increase the detection of chemicals in products sold on the EU market and thus increase the number of alerts.

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Alerts are reported to the EU Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products established under the General Product Safety Directive (to be replaced by Regulation 2023/988 in December 2024.

‘Serious chemical risk’ refers to serious health and/or safety concerns for European consumers and professionals, including non-immediate effects, requiring rapid intervention by public authorities.

Depending on the type of legislation breached – such as the hazardous substances (RoHS) Directive and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) Regulation - alerts are also reported for chemicals posing a risk to the environment.

EU and national market surveillance initiatives may focus on specific products or substances. This was the case with the Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products (CASP) concerning dangerous metals in jewellery, financed by the European Commission’s Consumer Programme and conducted in 2020. During this operation, market surveillance authorities from several Member States sampled various products in search of hazardous chemicals and found that 35% of the 179 samples did not meet at least one of the requirements in the testing plan.

Measures taken against reported products can include:

marking the product with appropriate risk warnings;
implementing conditions on the product’s marketing;
warning consumers of the risks;
temporarily banning the product’s supply, offer to supply and display;
banning the product’s marketing and any accompanying measures,
withdrawing the product from the market;
recalling the product from end users;
destroying the product;
rejecting imports at borders;
removing online marketplace listings; and
halting sales.

More information is available at the EU Rapid Alert System’s Safety Gate.

References and footnotes

EU, 2021, COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2021/1902 of 29 October 2021 amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use in cosmetic products of certain substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (OJ L 387, 3.11.2021, p. 120–125).
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[2] EU, 2019a, Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 December 2001 on general product safety (Text with EEA relevance) (OJ L 169, 25.6.2019, pp. 45–77).
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EU, 2023, Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on general product safety, amending Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive (EU) 2020/1828 of the European Parliament and the Council, and repealing Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 87/357/EEC (Text with EEA relevance) (OJ L 135, 23.5.2023, pp. 151).
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EU, 2011, Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (recast) Text with EEA relevance (OJ L 174, 1.7.2011, p. 88–110).
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EU, 2019b, Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on persistent organic pollutants (recast) (Text with EEA relevance.) (OJ L 169, 25.6.2019, pp. 45–77).
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Alerts for products posing a risk to human health and the environment (Indicator)

Chemical risk alerts reported to the EU Rapid Alert System by the EU-27 + Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, 2015-2023

Relevant objectives under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability

Other relevant indicators and signals

References and footnotes