Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

What are PFAS?

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are manufactured chemical compounds containing carbon-fluorine bonds, which are one of the strongest chemical bonds that break down very slowly resulting in environmental persistence and biological accumulation. PFAS use is commonly associated with commercial applications and consumer products since the 1940’s because of their useful properties such as resistant to grease, oil, water, and heat. There are thousands of PFAS with slightly varying chemical compounds.  The most commonly studied PFAS are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Although these particular chemicals are no longer manufactured in the United States, manufacturers have replaced them with alternative PFAS chemicals.  The next most commonly studied are perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). Hundreds of consumer products contain PFAS for which you can find a non-exhaustive list below:

• Nonstick cookware
• Stain-resistant coatings on carpeting and upholstery
• Cleaning products
• Food packaging
• Medical devices
• Cosmetics
• Paper and paperboard products
• Toys and children’s products
• Water-resistant clothing
• Paint, sealants, stains
• Personal care products including dental floss and shampoo

Why should you be concerned?

PFAS persists in the environment and contaminate our water and food supplies; therefore, exposing humans and other living species to ever-greater concentrations accumulating in human tissues.  There have been numerous scientific studies on the health hazards to humans and animals.  According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), research suggests high levels of PFAS exposure may lead to increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, small decreases in infant birth weights, decreased vaccine response in children, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, immune-depressing activity, and possible endocrine disruption.

What are legislators doing about it?

States are leading the way in eliminating PFAS from consumer products and food packaging. Recently, Vermont signed into law a nation-leading bill, Senate Bill S.20 (Act 36), that bans PFAS chemicals in consumer products. This includes the restriction of the sale of PFAS in firefighting foam, food packaging, ski wax, carpets, rugs, and stain-resistant treated items. California AB No. 652 effective July 1, 2023 prohibits selling or distributing juvenile product that contains regulated PFAS chemicals.

Effective on June 7, 2018, HB 2658 also known as the Healthy Food Packaging Act codified under RCW 70A.222.070 became law in Washington State regulating the intentional addition of PFAS to certain types of food packaging. The Washington Department of Ecology (DoE) published its first Alternative Assessment and Report to Legislature on Alternatives under the Act in February 2021 on four packaging applications including wraps and liners, plates, food bowls, and pizza boxes.  Submission of the report starts a two-year transitional period whereby any person is prohibited to manufacture, knowingly sell, offer for sale, distribute for sale, or distribute for use in this state food packaging derived by plant fibers containing PFAS by February 2023.

New York signed into law Senate Bill S8817 amending the Environmental Conservation Law prohibiting PFAS as intentionally added substances in a packaging or packaging component that is intended for indirect and direct food contact and is comprised, in substantial part of paper, paperboard, or other materials originally derived from plant fibers.  The law goes into effect in December 2022.  A similar bill in California, AB No. 1200, prohibits PFAS in plant-based food packaging as well as labeling requirements for cookware containing hazardous chemicals.

In regards to cosmetics, different US States are taking actions to phase out PFAS such as California (Bill AB 2771), Colorado (Bill HB 22-1345), Maryland (Bill HB 643). The new laws take effect on January 2025, whereby, prohibiting the manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in commerce any cosmetic product containing intentionally added PFAS.

In Europe Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 on cosmetic products forbids the use of PFOS and PFOA.

PFOS and PFOA are also listed under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), implying that parties to the Convention should eliminate the production and use of the chemicals.

Recently, the national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have submitted a proposal to ECHA to restrict PFAS under REACH, the European Union’s chemicals regulation. ECHA has published the proposal, one of the broadest in the EU’s history, on February 7, 2023. A six-month public consultation is planned to start on March 22 2023.

Updated Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation

In February 2021, the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) announced the 2021 update to their Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation. The update includes the addition of the class of PFAS and ortho-phthalates as regulated chemicals, as well as new processes and criteria for identifying and regulating additional chemicals of high concern in packaging.

Why choose Eurofins?

Eurofins understands the need to identify and monitor for emerging contaminants such as PFAS. With more than 20 years of experience with PFAS analysis, we are able to provide a high quality and cost-effective solution to meet your PFAS testing needs. Eurofins laboratories support standard and proprietary in-house methodology with all the necessary validation data to support the precision and accuracy of our methodology.

Quality encompasses more than just error-free and defensible data; our industry-leading program incorporates the technical guidance and expertise of our PFAS Experts to ensure that we understand your analytical needs, accomplish your data quality objectives, and ensure you stay abreast of ever-changing regulations.

References:

• “PFAS Explained.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained.
• Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, https://www.fda.gov/food/chemical-contaminants-food/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas.
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Your Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 June 2020, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html.
• Blake, Bevin E, and Suzanne E Fenton. “Early life exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and latent health outcomes: A review including the placenta as a target tissue and possible driver of peri- and postnatal effects.” Toxicology vol. 443 (2020): 152565. doi:10.1016/j.tox.2020.152565