Swedish tyre importers don't check for PAH oils - KEMI

ERJ staff report (DS)

Sundbyberg, Sweden - Swedish tyre importers don't check the levels of PAH oils in the tyres they sell, according to a survey by KEMI, the Swedish chemicals agency.

During the summer and autumn of 2012, the Swedish Chemicals Agency inspected some thirty companies in Sweden that import motorcar tyres. The companies were asked to describe how they work to ensure that imported tyres do not contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at levels that are prohibited.

The extent and quality of their reports varied significantly. One of the most common ways for companies to ensure that they follow the legislation is to request certificates and other documents from suppliers outside of the EU. Many importers showed test reports from analyses that suppliers had made.

None of the companies stated that they had made any tests of their own, but a few said that the head office (in another European country) had carried out tests. Some companies have detailed descriptions of the legislation in the documents that suppliers have to sign, while others provide more general documents. Some companies stated that they had visited factories on the spot. Others stated that they only use factories that produce tyres for the European market or only have "EU approved" tyres and therefore assume that the tires meet the requirements of the legislation.

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Press release from KEMI