Changes to Oeko-Tex criteria
The Oeko-Tex Association has adapted the requirements of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for testing textiles for harmful substances effective January 1, 2009.
All limit values and test criteria of the Oeko-Tex certification system will from now on be expressed in the unit of measurement "mg/kg" rather than "ppm" (parts per million). As a result, future possible confusion between the unit measures of volume "µl/l" or "mg/m3" can be avoided and the new units more easily compared with standards named in other inventories of harmful substances.
In connection with the REACh-rating of decaBDE (decabromodiphenyl ether) and
HBCDD (hexabromocyclododecane) as SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern), these chemicals have been explicitly included in the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 inventory of banned flame-retardant substances.
The same is true for the less than or equal to 0.1% by mass content limit for the problematic phthalates DEHP (Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate), BBP (butyl benzyl phthalate), and DBP (dibutyl phthalate) already existing for Oeko-Tex Product classes I and II.
Due to their inclusion in the REACh-candidate list of Substances of Very High Concern this limit will be extended immediately to Product class III (garments worn away from the skin) and Product class IV (materials for interior decorating and decorative purposes).
These, and other changes to criteria, can be viewed at www.oeko-tex.com/limitvalues.
