Spotlight on PFAS - Environmental Laboratory 17
level of concern’. A substance-by-substance approach to risk management has led to several cases of regrettable substitution, with one hazardous substance being replaced by another. For example, the restriction prohibiting use of PFOS in fi re-fi ghting foam led to replacement with shorter chain PFAS chemistries which are now known to have equally undesirable properties and are widely detected in environmental waters and soil.
The regulatory landscape is changing very rapidly with much tighter legislation anticipated including widespread restrictions on manufacture and use of PFAS in the EU, as well as other global jurisdictions. The scale of environmental contamination, the extreme persistency and harmful properties and the large number of PFAS has led the European Commission to making a commitment in 2020 in its Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, to phase out all non-essential uses of PFAS. In January 2022, a REACH restriction dossier was submitted on the use of PFAS in fi refi ghting foams and fi ve European Member States have very recently submitted a restriction proposal to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) to restrict all other uses of PFAS, known as the ‘universal restriction’. ECHA will publish the proposal on 7th
February 2023 and a six-month consultation is planned to commence on 22 March 2023.
In the UK a regulatory management options analysis (RMOA) is currently being prepared under UK REACH regulations by the
Environment Agency and is expected to be published in early 2023. It is not yet known if the UK will follow the same approach as the EU and propose a ‘universal ban’ on all PFAS or target specifi c uses or groups of PFAS.
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Environmental Quality Standards Directive currently lists only one PFAS – PFOS as a priority hazardous substance, with a biota based Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) of 9.1µg/kg wet weight and annual average EQS in water of 6.5 x 10-4 surface waters and 1.3 x 10-4
µg/l for inland µg/l for other surface waters. It
is evident that when considering risk management of PFAS, the issue is far broader than PFOS. The Scientifi c Committee on Health, Environment and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) recently published an opinion9
on a proposal for additional EQS for
several PFAS under the WFD. It is not yet known if the UK will follow a similar route and develop additional EQS for PFAS, but it is likely given the wider awareness and supporting evidence base to indicate PFAS require wider risk management than simply focusing on a single substance, PFOS.
The recast European Drinking Water Directive10 specifi es
thresholds for both sum of PFAS and total PFAS. In the UK, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) have recently published updated guidance on tiered risk assessment for PFAS11 requiring water companies to identify sources of PFAS in their
;
7Reg (EC) 1907/2006 concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction (REACH) of chemicals) 8Directive 2013/39/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 August 2013 amending Directives
2000/60/EC and 2008/105/EC as regards priority substances in the fi eld of water policy 9
SCHEER - Scientifi c Opinion on “Draft Environmental Quality Standards for Priority Substances under the Water Framework Directive” - PFAS (
europa.eu)
Author Contact Details Dr Emma Pemberton FRSC CChem - Principal consultant in Ricardo Energy & Environment’s Environmental Chemistry & Toxicology team • Email:
emma.pemberton@
ricardo.com Web:
the-ncec.com/en/regulatory-compliance/environmental-chemistry-and-toxicology
New study demonstrates how microplastic particles diff er across the Atlantic Ocean
The waters of the North Atlantic gyre contain signifi cantly greater quantities of plastic – composed of polymers arising from packaging, rope, and paint particles – than other areas of the open ocean, according to new research.
One of the planet’s fi ve great oceanic gyres, manmade marine debris becomes trapped in a circular ocean current that stretches from the east coasts of North America to the west coasts of Europe and Africa.
A new study, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, has found it contains higher levels of polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic, and polyamide, whereas other offshore locations are more associated with PVC and polystyrene.
Seawater closer to land, on the other hand, contains far more diversity in its polymer composition, with researchers saying this could potentially be infl uenced by its proximity to a variety of sources of plastics arising from land.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Plymouth, Mercator Ocean International, and eXXpedition, with samples collected during eXXpedition’s pioneering all-women Round the World sailing mission.
A manta trawl used to sample microplastics RTW eXXpeditionLeg2 (© eXXpedition Erica Cirino194)
Its fi ndings are based on almost 30 samples taken across the Atlantic Ocean, enabling scientists to examine variations in microplastic concentration and types within the upper ocean, both on the surface and to a depth of 25 metres.
The overall aim of the research was to provide further data of plastic quantities in the region, and also to cover parts of the ocean where existing data was sparse, such as the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic gyre.
Dr Winnie Courtene-Jones, eXXpedition Science Lead and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth, is the study’s lead author.
She said: “The presence of plastic pollution within the North Atlantic, and its subtropical gyre, have been reported for 50 years. However, this research shows that the types of polymers differ between different regions of the North Atlantic. The high diversity of polymers identifi ed in inshore waters may simply be down to the numerous and varied source of plastic inputs coming directly from land, Meanwhile the gyre appears to be more closely associated with items that may come from maritime industries or been transported from the countries which border the Atlantic Ocean via ocean currents.“
The water samples collected in the gyre contained on average 0.62 microplastics per m3 m3
in other areas of open ocean, and 0.4MP/m3 in inshore areas.
By using tracking models developed by experts at Mercator Ocean International, the research team was able to demonstrate how particles found on the surface of the gyre might have reached this region.
Taking into account the hugely varied currents in the North Atlantic, the models suggest they could have entered the sea from anywhere in North America, western Europe and north western Africa.
This, the researchers say, also indicates some of the challenges when attempting to manage the fl ow of plastic pollution from source to sea.
eXXpedition’s Round the World voyage left Plymouth in October 2019 to visit some of the most important and diverse marine environments on the planet with the aim of inspiring a network of changemakers, informing effective solutions with industry and infl uencing policy change on land.
Emily Penn BEM, eXXpedition Founder and one of the co-authors on the current study, said: “The remarkable discovery from our research was the huge diversity of polymer types, particularly in the inshore regions. It tells us that the pollution has come from many different sources – be it clothing, paint fragments or car tyres – and as a result means the solutions need to be diverse too. We set out to pinpoint where the solutions lie on land by better understanding the location the pollution had come from in the fi rst place, but in fact the results just reinforce how much of an international challenge this is. The ocean connects us all and your pollution is my pollution – we need to solve it together.”
For More Info, email: email:
For More Info, email:
59274pr@reply-direct.com
• Setting the standard for over 60 years. • More than 10,000 products to choose from and adding new products daily. • Custom Mixtures, Solutions, and Custom Synthesis available.
of sea water, compared with an average of 0.19MP/
human consumption 11
catchments and assess risk by considering proximity to sources, catchment fl ows, and hydrological conditions.
Managing the risk to the environmental and public health risks from PFAS is a signifi cant global challenge requiring actions to tackle both legacy contamination from historical use of withdrawn substances and manage emissions from currently used PFAS. The scientifi c understanding and evidence base on hazards and effective approaches to managing risk and cleaning up existing contamination are rapidly evolving.
10Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the council on the quality of water intended for Drinking water Inspectorate information letter to water companies July 2022
chemservice.com |
info@chemservice.com | 1-800-452-9994
WWW.ENVIROTECH-ONLINE.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
