Substance identification

Substance identification is a process by which the identity of a substance is established.

Accurate identification of a substance is a prerequisite for most REACH, CLP and biocides processes. In particular, it enables joint REACH registrations to be prepared efficiently and correctly and ensures that the test data is appropriate for the substance registered under REACH. This leads to a robust hazard and risk assessment of the registered substance.

The correct identification of a substance also enables:

  • the sharing of information to prevent unnecessary animal testing and costs;
  • the use of test data across companies and read-across within a group of substances;
  • assessment of whether a substance is included in the Authorisation List, the list of restrictions or has a harmonised classification and labelling.

  1. -> Identification
  2. -> Definition
  3. -> What is not a substance?
  4. -> Characterisation
  5. -> Four steps to substance identification