ANNEX XIII: CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF PERSISTENT, BIOACCUMULATIVE AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES, AND VERY PERSISTENT AND VERY BIOACCUMULATIVE SUBSTANCES

This Annex lays down the criteria for the identification of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBT substances), and very persistent and very bioaccumulative substances (vPvB substances) as well as the information that must be considered for the purpose of assessing the P, B, and T properties of a substance.
For the identification of PBT substances and vPvB substances a weight-of-evidence determination using expert judgement shall be applied, by comparing all relevant and available information listed in Section 3.2 with the criteria set out in Section 1. This shall be applied in particular where the criteria set out in Section 1 cannot be applied directly to the available information.
A weight-of-evidence determination means that all available information bearing on the identification of a PBT or a vPvB substance is considered together, such as the results of monitoring and modelling, suitable in vitro tests, relevant animal data, information from the application of the category approach (grouping, read-across), (Q)SAR results, human experience such as occupational data and data from accident databases, epidemiological and clinical studies and well documented case reports and observations. The quality and consistency of the data shall be given appropriate weight. The available results regardless of their individual conclusions shall be assembled together in a single weight-of-evidence determination.
The information used for the purposes of assessment of the PBT/vPvB properties shall be based on data obtained under relevant conditions.
The identification shall also take account of the PBT/vPvB-properties of relevant constituents of a substance and relevant transformation and/or degradation products.
This Annex shall apply to all organic substances, including organo-metals.
1. / CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF PBT AND vPvB SUBSTANCES
2. / SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT OF P, vP, B, vB and T PROPERTIES
3. / INFORMATION RELEVANT FOR THE SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT OF P, vP, B, vB and T PROPERTIES