The European Commission announced on Thursday, September 18, that it was restricting the use of a “subgroup” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called “eternal pollutants.” The European authorities say they want to “protect human health and the environment” from these persistent chemical substances, present in many everyday objects.
Adopted under the REACH Regulation, the new measures [1] is restricting the sale and the use of undecafluorohexanoic acid (‘PFHxA’) and PFHxA ‑related substances in some consumer products such as textiles, food packaging, like pizza boxes; consumer mixtures such as waterproofing sprays; and cosmetic products.
The restriction will take effect after transitional periods of between 18 months and 5 years, depending on the use, allowing time for replacement by safer alternatives.
The PFHxA restriction adopted by the European union focuses on “uses where the risk is not adequately controlled, alternatives are available,” and s”ocio-economic costs will be limited” in comparison to the human health and environmental benefits.
The new ban does not affect other applications of PFHxA, for example in semiconductors, batteries or fuel cells for green hydrogen.
“We are removing harmful substances from products that citizens use every day, like textiles, cosmetics and food packaging. This restriction of PFAS is a decisive step in our strategy to boost sustainability, competitiveness and innovation in the chemicals sector. Substituting ’forever chemicals’ helps to keep our environment healthy, preserve our resources, and drive innovation in cleaner alternatives. The direction is clear, and businesses will have sufficient transition periods to adapt,” commented Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.
