REGULATORY EU & PFAS
EUROPE’S PROPOSED PFAS PLAN: A TIMELINE
With a six-month consultation having kicked off on 22 March, how can we expect the European Union’s phase out of forever chemicals to unfold? Julia Wray writes
T
he European Union (EU) has taken another step closer to phasing out forever chemicals with the details of a proposed restriction of around 10,000 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) having been published by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on 7 February.
The ECHA has now begun the process of evaluating the proposal in terms of risks to people and the environment, as well as the impacts on society.
THE ISSUE WITH PFAS PFAS can be gases, liquids or solid polymers and are widely used across industry thanks to their unique set of desirable properties.
46 April 2023
They are stable, for example, under intense heat, making them of use in firefighting foam.
Many of them are also surfactants and are used as water and grease repellents. In cosmetics, they are used to impart water resistance and to increase the durability and finish of cosmetic products.
A January 2023 report from the UK’s BBC News found beauty brands Urban Decay, Revolution and Inglot were still selling make-up in the UK containing forever chemicals; although all parties told the BBC that they were phasing out the chemicals.
As well as cosmetics, industry sectors using PFAS include aerospace and defence, automotive, aviation, food
contact materials, textiles, leather and apparel, construction and household products, electronics, firefighting, food processing and medical articles. The issue with the majority of PFAS is that they are persistent in the environment. Some are known to persist in the environment longer than any other synthetic substance, meaning humans and other species are exposed to ever greater concentrations. According to the ECHA, the behaviour of PFAS in the environment means that they tend to pollute groundwater and drinking water. Last month, US President Joe Biden announced plans to drive down acceptable limits in drinking water to 4ng per litre for two types of PFAS (PFOS and PFOA) and announced proposals to regulate four more – PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals – as a mixture. While Alexandra Kowcz, Chief Scientist at the US’ Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) has previously warned that “it is inappropriate to
cosmeticsbusiness.com
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