An “ISO 17025 accredited Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) laboratory for the testing of Hazardous Substances”, has been established at C-MET, Hyderabad with the financial support of our ministry namely Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of India. The facility has been accorded with NABL certification by department of Science and Technology (DST) with a accredited number T-1780. The facility is now open to offer the services to the industry for RoHS analyses and certification. This is the only RoHS analysis facility established as Government of India laboratory in the country.

RoHS Regulation (Directive 2002/95/EC) enforced w.e.f. July 1, 2006, restricts the manufactures or importers of electrical and electronic equipment to use six banned substances: lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE), exceeding certain permissible concentrations. The permissible concentrations are Pb (< 1000 ppm), Cd (<100 ppm), Cr+6 (< 1000 ppm), Hg (< 1000 ppm), PBB (< 1000 ppm) and PBDE (< 1000 ppm) by mass in any "homogenous substance”.

The testing is strictly carried out following IEC 62321:2006 procedures. Research is mainly focused on the chemical dissolution of various homogeneous substances without losing its content of analytes. For this purpose a chemical laboratory with all necessary equipment for the extraction of metals, PBB and PBDE in to liquid have been established. Using RoHS facility, internationally acceptable analytical data with well defined, precision, accuracy, error limits standard deviation and uncertainty were generated.

Standard operating procedures (SOP’s) as per IEC 62321:2006 were tested thoroughly to suit the laboratory environment and the samples for RoHS compliance through ISO 17025:2005 system. The state-of-the art analytical equipment like Electron Dispersive x-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDXRF), Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) with Hydride Generator, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS.) Spectrophotometer, Ion Chromatography (IC), etc, have already been housed in a suitable infrastructure.

All the industries both exporting and catering to the domestic Indian market are requested to make use of the expertise and facilities available at C-MET, Hyderabad to enhance their business. The charges will be very competitive and minimum. This will also paves a way for good manufacturing practices, by reducing the hazardous substances in their products, which affects the clean environment.