Q. What’s the difference between lead(Pb)-free and RoHS compliant?

While lead (Pb) is the most widely used toxic substance in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), the term "lead-free" is often wrongly adopted to refer to all of the substances specified in the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive. However, RoHS restricts a total of six substances - lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE. To be truly compliant with this legislation, the presence of each of these substances must be reduced below their maximum concentration values (MCV).

Agile Business Consultants understanding of RoHS compliance is taken from the DTI draft RoHS guidance notes of July 2004:

"For the purposes of RoHS regulations, a maximum concentration value of up to 0.1% by weight in homogenous materials for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE and of up to 0.01% by weight in homogenous materials for cadmium will be permitted in the manufacture of new EEE“.

In the TAC meeting of December 2004, it was stated that the EC had made a no formal response to proposed MCVs. As such, they would be adopted by default in December 2004. For full details, please view our Legislative progress section.