ECHA publishes proposal on PFAS restriction
Details have now been published by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) regarding proposed restrictions covering approximately 10,000 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).
The proposal, prepared by authorities in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden was submitted to ECHA on January 13, with aims to reduce PFAS emissions into the environment and make products and processes safer for people.
ECHA’s scientific committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) will assess whether the proposal meets the legal requirements of REACH in their meetings in March 2023. If compliant, the committees will begin their scientific evaluation of the proposal. A six-month consultation period is planned to start on March 22.
All PFASs in the scope of the proposal, sometimes known as ‘forever chemicals’, are very persistent in the environment and pose negative effects to plants, people and the environment if release measures are not minimised. It is estimated that around 4.4 million tonnes of PFASs would end up in the environment over the next 30 years unless action is taken.
