The European Union (EU) is to clamp down on the use of perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS) as the result of a European Parliament plenary vote on the last update of the EU’s dangerous substances directive (76/769/EEC), before it is incorporated in the new Regulation on chemicals (REACH). Member States will have 18 months to enact the directive in national law (i.e., June, 27th 2008). Within REACH, PFOS will be a prime candidate for a chemical that needs to be authorized before it should be used, as would all the known persistent organic pollutants.

Maximum Concentration Values of PFOS

May not be placed on the market or used as a substance or constituent of preparations in a concentration equal to or higher than 0.005％ by mass.

May not be placed on the market in semi-finished products or articles, or parts therefore, if the concentration of PFOS is equal to or higher than 0.1％ by mass calculated with reference to the mass of structurally or microstructurally distinct parts that contain PFOS or, for textiles or other coated materials , if the amount of PFOS is equal to or higher than 1 ug/m2 of the coated material.

Hazardous Effects of PFOS

PFOS, members of perfluorinated chemical, are very heat stable, extremely resistant to being broken down in the environment and can repel both water and oil. Another commonly encountered perfluorinated chemical would be perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts. Perfluorinated chemicals accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife. There is evidence to suggest that exposure to perfluorinated chemicals including PFOS and PFOA may cause birth defects, adversely affect the immune system and disrupt thyroid function, which during pregnancy, can lead to many developmental problems. More importantly, the United States Environmental Protection Agency considers both PFOS and PFOA to be carcinogenic and occupational exposure to PFOS has been correlated with increased incidence of bladder cancer.

Applications for PFOS

1.PFOS-related chemicals are used in a variety of products which can be divided into three main categories of use.

   PFOS-related chemicals produced for SURFACE TREAT-MENT APPLICATIONS provide soil, oil, and water resistance to personal apparel, home furnishings, and automobile interiors.

2.PFOS-related chemicals produced for PAPER PRO-TECTION

  APPLICATIONS provide grease, oil, and water resistance to paper and paperboard as part of a sizing agent formulation.

3.PFOS-related chemicals in the PERFORMANCE CHEMICAL CATEGORY

are used in a variety of specialized industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. This category includes various salts of PFOS that are commercialized as finished products.

Another Perfluorinated Chemical of Concern –PFOA

Likewise, the European Parliament has dropped demands for EU restrictions on PFOA and its salts which are also suspected have a similar risk profile as PFOS. Applications of PFOA and its byproducts include household surface finishes (e.g. non-stick cookware), flexible food packaging, fabrication of stain resistant materials and fire-fighting foam.The European Commission has been asked to keep under review the ongoing risk activities and the availability of safer alternatives and to define what kind of risk reduction measures, including restriction of marketing and use, if appropriate, should be applied within the EU. The potential toxicity, widespread occurrence, and persistence of PFOA in people of all ages have also drawn considerable interest for the public and regulatory agencies in the US. Given that PFOA has been well-documented to cause liver, pancreatic and testicular cancer in animal, a coalition of environmental and labor groups has sought to expedite consideration of PFOA as a California’s Proposition 65 listed carcinogen.

The information from [ Taiwan SGS ]