20.12.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 325/189
Step 3 – Human health and environmental aspects in the final application phase This step assesses the hazards and risks of the final application of the material or chemical in question.
It covers use-specific exposure to the chemical or material and the associated risks.
The goal is to assess whether the use of a chemical or material in its final application poses any risk to human health or the environment.
Step 4 – Environmental sustainability assessment In the fourth step environmental sustainability impacts along the entire chemical/material life cycle are considered by means of an LCA, assessing several impact categories such as climate change and resource use.
Toxicity and ecotoxicity are also considered in this step, referring to impacts due to life cycle emissions to humans and the environment via environmental compartments (e.g., soil, water, air), including mobility between compartments and not via direct exposure (covered in Step 3).
(1) Hazardous properties of the chemical or material in question
(2) Human health and safety aspects of production and processing
(3) Hazards and risks of the final application of the chemical or material in question
(4) Environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of the chemical or material in question
Figure 2: Illustration of the safety and sustainability aspects of the chemical or material covered by the safety and sustainability assessment.
Coloured boxes indicate which life cycle stage is covered.
The red dot refers to the chemical or material being assessed, while the yellow and grey dots refer to all the other substances emitted during its life cycle (e.g., other toxic chemicals emitted during the extraction of raw material or as a result of the energy used in the production process).