What is SOC?

SOC means “Substance of Concern” or “Substances of very high Concern reach” or “Substance of high Concern”

SOC Substances pose a potential risk to human health and the environment.

Substance of High Concern | Effect on the Environment

• Soil Contamination
• Water Contamination
• Acid Rain
• Expanding Desert

Substance of High Concern | Effect on the Human Body

• Asbestos – Lungs Cancer
• Lead (Pb) – Brain & Bone
• Cr(VI) – Lungs, Kidney, Liver
• Mercury (Hg) – Nervous, Digestive & Immune System
• PBB & PBDE – Stomach & Joints

Substance of Very High Concern List

The substances of very high concern reach list with applications and their adverse effects:

Substance	Adverse effect	Few Application Area
Lead (Pb)	Nervous system	Battery / Paint / Rubber Compound / Solders / Terminals
Cadmium (Cd)	Respiratory system	Thick Film Paste for PCB / Glass / Mirror / EV Batteries active material
Mercury (Hg)	Nervous system, digestive system and Immune system	Switches / HID Lamps / Display screen Speedometer
Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+)	Skin Problem	Chrome Passivation
Asbestos	Lungs Cancer	Brake Pads / Clutch Disc / Gaskets / PP Containing Talc / Epoxy resin/Adhesives
Liver, Stomach, Joints	Lever, Stomach, Joints	Plasticizers for PVC / Rubber/Adhesives/Ink/Epoxy
POPs, (e.g. PFOA, PFHXs, DP) Persistent Organic Pollutants	Cancers, birth defects, reproductive systems, and damages to nervous systems.	Lubricants & Flame Retardants for Fabric / Mat /Teflon

Substance of High Concern | Common SOCs List

Substance / group	Typical uses	Why it’s a concern	Typical limits / notes

Lead (Pb)

Solders, finishes, alloys, batteries

Toxic; bioaccumulative; developmental neurotoxin

Regulated by RoHS, ELV; many parts must be < threshold mg/kg

Cadmium (Cd)

Plating, stabilizers, pigments

Carcinogen, toxic to kidneys

Restricted in RoHS/REACH

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI))

Corrosion protection, plating

Carcinogenic, skin sensitizer

Restricted; replace with trivalent chromium where possible

Mercury (Hg)

Switches, lamps, sensors

Neurotoxin; persistent

Strictly controlled; many bans

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs, e.g., PBDEs)

Plastics, PCBBs

Persistent, bioaccumulative, endocrine disruption

Many restricted under RoHS/REACH

Phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, etc.)

Plasticizers in PVC

Reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption

Listed in RoHS/REACH; specific bans in toys/child products

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

Coatings, sealants

Persistent, mobile, toxic

Increasing regulatory scrutiny worldwide

SVHCs (REACH: Substances of Very High Concern)

Various

Carcinogenic / mutagenic / reproductive / PBT/vPvB

Requires notification, authorization

Nickel (release)

Stainless/finish parts, jewelry

Allergen; in some cases regulatory limits on release

Nickel release testing required in some product categories

Asbestos

(Historically) insulation, gaskets

Carcinogenic

Banned or strictly prohibited

Formaldehyde

Resins, adhesives

Carcinogen; irritant

Limits in indoor air/products

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Transformers, capacitors (legacy)

Toxic, persistent

Prohibited; legacy remediation

Evolution of SOC Regulations

SOC Regulations History at the World Level:

YEAR 2000 | End-of-Life Vehicle Directive

Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr6+ Restriction of Heavy Metals

YEAR 2006 | RoHS -Restriction of Hazardous Substance

Directive Heavy Metals + PBB + PBDE 4 Phthalates (ROHS3)

YEAR 2007 | REACH

REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals

YEAR 2012 | Asbestos Prohibition

Asbestos 6 Substances banned

YEAR 2018 | POPs & Phthalates Restriction

Restriction on POPs Substances and 4 Phthalates

SOC Control Contents

“SOC control” contents to be exempt from restriction.

REACH Stands for – Registration Evaluation Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals

SVHC Stands for – Substances of Very High Concern

ELV Stands for – End of Life Vehicles

RoHS Stands for – Restriction of Hazardous Substance

IMDS Stands for – International Material Data System. It helps in achieving Substance Level Analysis. Substance of Concern (SOC) Compliance.

General mitigation strategy for SOCs

• Identify & map : Use IMDS or a similar tool to build a bill-of-materials (BOM) or component-level map showing potential SOC locations.
• Screen & prioritize : Prioritize materials based on risk (toxicity, concentration, exposure pathways, and product criticality) and check them against regulatory lists (REACH, RoHS, and local regulations).
• Control at source : Whenever feasible, get rid of or replace dangerous materials.
• Supplier management : demand contractual restrictions, analytical testing, audits, and declarations
• Verification & testing : carry out routine laboratory tests and incoming inspection.
• Process controls : waste management, segregation, PPE, emission controls, and containment.
• Documentation & traceability : maintain version control, change notification, and traceability (IMDS entries, test reports).
• Monitoring & update : continual improvement, recurring re-audits, and regulatory monitoring.
• End-of-life & circularity : design for recovery initiatives, safe disposal routes, and recycling.