The European Union began considering a proposal on Tuesday to ban widely used substances, known as PFASs or “everlasting chemicals,” in what could become the most ambitious regulation ever to hit the chemical industry.
The substances have been used in tens of thousands of products, such as aircraft, automobiles, textiles, medical equipment, and wind turbines, due to their resistance to extreme temperatures and corrosion, but PFASs have also been linked to health risks such as cancer, hormonal dysfunction and a weakened immune system, as well as environmental damage.
Five countries – Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and non-EU Norway – that have collaborated on the proposal said in a joint statement on Tuesday that, if approved, it would become “one of the largest chemical bans ever implemented in Europe”.
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”A ban on PFASs would reduce the amounts of PFASs in the environment in the long term. It would also make products and processes safer for humans.s”, they added.
Once the ban takes effect, companies will have between 18 months and 12 years to introduce alternatives to the at least 10,000 affected PFAS substances, depending on the application and availability of alternatives, according to the draft proposal.
Manufacturers and users of PFAS, which have formed a sub-lobby within the European Chemical Manufacturers Association CEFIC, include BASF, 3M, Bayer, Solvay, Merck KGaA and Synthomer.
”In many cases, no such alternative currently exists, and in some it may never exist.”, the five countries said in their statement, adding that companies must start now to find substitutes.
Waterproofing agents for textiles are among the easiest to substitute, with paraffin for example, but there are currently no substitutes available for use in some medical devices such as pacemakers, according to the filing.
The nickname of “eternal chemicals” is due to their ability to accumulate in water and soil, since they do not decompose as a result of the very strong bond between carbon and fluorine atoms that characterizes perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).At a press conference in Brussels, Audun Heggelund of the Norwegian Environment Agency said they can already be detected worldwide.
”PFAS can be found in penguins in the Antarctic, in polar bears in the Arctic, and even in rainwater in Tibet.”, he added.
The new regulations would probably enter into force in 2026 or 2027, according to the file. Some pharmaceutical, animal health, phytosanitary and disinfectant products would be exempt, or would benefit from so-called exceptions, because they are already subject to regulatory regimes, according to the file.
Source: Reuters
Source: Gestion
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