The European Commission has announced the addition of restrictions on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related substances to Annex 17 of the REACH Regulation. These restrictions will be implemented gradually from July 4, 2020. The announcement states that PFOA, its salts, and related substances offer water, oil, and/or stain resistance due to their high frictional resistance, dielectric properties, heat and chemical resistance, and low surface energy. Therefore, they are widely used in the production of fluoropolymers and fluoroelastomers, fire-fighting foams, textiles, and paper products. PFOA was listed as a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) on June 20, 2013, due to its persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) properties. In 2014, Germany and Norway proposed restrictions on the manufacture, market placement, and use of PFOA, its salts, and PFOA-related substances. Following review by the ECHA Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and the Economic and Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC), and a decision by the European Commission, new restrictions on PFOA, its salts, and PFOA-related substances were announced on June 13, 2017. The summary of these rules is as follows: 1. From July 4, 2020, PFOA, its salts, and PFOA-related substances may not be manufactured or placed on the market in any form. 2. From July 4, 2020, substances containing PFOA (including its salts) at a concentration of ≥25 ppb, or with a total concentration of ≥1000 ppb with one or more PFOA-related substances, may not be used as a component of other substances, added to mixtures, or manufactured as a finished product, or placed on the market. For detailed information, please refer to the website: https://www.chemexp.org.tw/content/download/DownloadList.aspx Source: International Chemical Policy Promotion Network (2017-08-23)
