ChemSec Adds Hundreds of PFAS to Substitution List
The International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec), a Swedish NGO that advocates for reducing the production and use of hazardous chemicals, has added 370 new per- or poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) — also known as “forever chemicals” — to its Substitute It Now (SIN) List.
ChemSecs’s biggest-ever update takes the total number of entries to 416. But the NGO said this is still a small number compared to how many “forever chemicals” are present, noting that some scientists estimate that there are about 5,000 individual PFAS chemicals, while others say there could be as many as 6 million.
“We’ve put a great emphasis on selecting the most relevant PFAS. This means that we’ve selected chemicals that we know are used or produced in Europe or the US,” said Anna Lennquist, senior toxicologist at ChemSec and project leader for the SIN List. “We want to make clear that we think every single PFAS should be phased out, no matter how many they are. But what this update aims for is to narrow them down to the most relevant couple of hundred substances for companies to keep track of.”
Created in 2008, the SIN List contains hazardous chemicals used in a wide variety of products and manufacturing processes that have been identified as being substances of very high concern (SVHCs) under EU chemical legislation REACH. It is based on publicly available information from existing databases and scientific studies and was developed in close collaboration with scientists and technical experts, as well as an advisory committee of leading environmental, health and consumer organizations, ChemSec explained.
According to the NGO, its SIN List has four times as many harmful substances as the EU Candidate List, which places legal obligations on companies that produce or import an SVHC either on its own, in mixtures or in articles.
PFAS are industrial chemicals often found in cosmetics, furniture, carpets, non-stick pans and waterproof jackets, for example. They are extremely persistent in the environment and studies have linked PFAS exposure to learning disabilities, cancer, immune system disorders, fertility issues and obesity.
On Jan. 13, the national authorities of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency to restrict PFASs in the EU under REACH.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
