Global PFAS Regulation: A Multi-Pronged Effort to Control Harmful Chemicals

With the realization of the health impact from PFAS, new PFAS regulations are popping up around the globe. Be prepared to manage your product compliance – no matter where you operate – and protect your compliance status and brand reputation. In this article, we examine current PFAS regulation around the globe, highlighting efforts by the European Union, United States, and Asia Pacific to address harm caused by this broad class of chemicals. Key takeaways and predictions are provided so that you may be at the forefront of compliance and sustainability.   

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals widely used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, food & beverage, textiles, construction, firefighting, and electronics. What makes them unique, and thus valuable in many products, is their ability to act as an oil and water repellent, to provide friction reduction, and to insulate products. However, these qualities are also what make PFAS so dangerous to human health. Once PFAS enter the environment (and our bodies), they may bioaccumulate causing increased toxicity. PFAS are known for their great persistence in the environment.