RoHS and WEEE are acronyms, derived from certain European Commission (EC) Directives, as follows:

  • Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the Restriction Of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment
  • Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

In essence, WEEE was introduced to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) being put into landfills by encouraging reuse, recycling, and separate trash collections. The role of RoHS is to reduce harmful substances at the source, to hopefully prevent ensuring that these hazardous substances from entering the environment.

Specifically, in order to prevent the generation of hazardous waste, Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS) requires the substitution of various heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium) and brominated flame retardants [polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)] in new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market from 1 July 2006.

Annex 1A of Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE) identifies ten categories of electrical and electronic equipment covered by the Directive. Interscan’s products would fall under Annex 1A, number 9— “Monitoring and control instruments.”

Only cadmium and lead need be considered for Interscan products.

Cadmium appears in the Nickel-Cadmium batteries in our portable analyzers. WEEE would apply to how these batteries are disposed of by the European end-user. Further requirements are elucidated in Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators.

Lead exists in the sensors, and we have always advised that the sensors be disposed of as one would dispose of batteries.

RoHS, while restricting the use of cadmium and lead does not apply to batteries, which is the province of the Battery Directive. Moreover, in accordance with Directive 2002/95/EC, Article 2 (Scope), Item 1, RoHs does not apply to Category 9 “Monitoring and control instruments,” as set out in Directive 2002/96/EC.

Thus, Interscan products are exempt from the provisions of RoHS.

It should be noted that in accordance with Directive 2002/95/EC, Article 6 (Review), further commented on in the British Department of Trade and Industry document “Explanatory Memorandum to the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations 2005” (2005 No. 2748):

Article 6 of the RoHS Directive asks the European Commission to present proposals for including EEE falling within these categories within the scope of the RoHS Directive, once scientific and technical evidence has demonstrated that such proposals are feasible.

As such, Interscan will be keeping current with these EC regulations, as it does with all relevant government regulations worldwide.

Even though our instruments are not included within the scope of the RoHS Directive, Interscan has been phasing out the use of lead-based solder in all of our products, as a responsible environmental policy. To comply with WEEE guidelines, Interscan circuit boards and wired assemblies should be disposed of in accordance with appropriate local policies and regulations.