These are chemical compounds that are extremely resistant to the environment and the organisms in which they accumulate.
The European Commission is preparing a proposal that will recommend stopping the use of “perpetual chemicals” in consumer products, except for some basic industrial uses.
The eternal chemicals is a group of 4,700 man-made chemical compounds. Their scientific name is perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS). They are called “eternal” because they are extremely resistant to the environment and organisms. This property raises concerns about the effects of their accumulation:
- In ecosystems
- In drinking water
- In the human body
The ubiquitous chemicals have been used since the mid-20th century in thousands of consumer products, from cosmetics to perfumes, from nonstick pans to airplane turbines.
But over time they have been associated with many health problems including:
- Heart problems
- Liver diseases
- Thyroid diseases
- Some tumors (e.g. testicular)
They have also been found to be particularly toxic to developing children. Yes, yes a recent study showed that they could pass in the blood and milk of pregnant women who use care products, such as hair dyes, nail polishes, etc.
For two years now
“We are trying to impose a ban on consumer products,” he told the Reuters news agency Ms Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for the Environment of the Commission. “This is important both for people and the environment, but also for the industry to know how to phase out its use.”
The proposal for a broad ban on permanent chemicals was tabled two years ago by Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. However, the Commission’s proposal is unlikely to be presented before 2026 because “key” exemptions need to be defined, according to Reuters.
Some of these exceptions are asthma inhalers and semiconductors used in green technologies (e.g. electric cars). However, there will be restrictions on these as well, Roswall said. The restrictions will include how to dispose of them.
However, industrial applications, such as plastic and electronics manufacturing, account for the largest use of PFAS.
The public consultation conducted by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to assess the scope of the bans, attracted over 5,600 comments from bodies, companies and individuals representing sectors such as:
- The machines
- Of clean energy
- Plastic
The agencies are seeking exemptions for ubiquitous chemicals like fluoropolymers, which are used in hundreds of products from waterproof clothing to solar photovoltaic systems.