ECHA publishes advice on how to comply with NMP restriction

A new guidance document is available for industrial users of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), a product produced by some of the  Petrochemicals Europe’s members. The purpose of the guidance document is to help industrial users of NMP to comply with the substance’s restriction requirements and protect workers’ health. Such guidelines are needed because this is the first restriction of its kind based on Derived no Effect Levels (DNEL), the level of exposure to a substance above which humans should not be exposed.

NMP is used as a solvent or surface deposition medium during manufacturing and is therefore a critical substance for various industries producing batteries, semiconductors, fibres, pharmaceuticals and wire coatings. NMP users in these sectors will have to comply with the restriction by 9 May 2020. For NMP used in wire coatings, the deadline is 9 May 2024.

In close cooperation with stakeholders including Petrochemicals Europe, ECHA has prepared the guidelines to help companies, including SMEs, to manage the risks when using NMP at industrial sites. Several consultations and round table workshops have been organised to identify good practice and find illustrative examples on how users of NMP can control exposure to NMP and comply with the restriction.

The general approach described in this guideline can also be applied to other aprotic solvents similar to NMP, such as DMF and DMAC, if similar REACH restrictions are introduced for other aprotic solvents at a later stage.

The guideline is now available in 23 EU languages on the ECHA website.

You can express your views on the NMP Guideline HERE.