Scientific Committees Back Further Restrictions on PFAS Chemicals

Two leading European scientific committees have voiced their support for tightening restrictions on a group of hazardous chemical substances, marking a significant step forward in the European Union's efforts to safeguard public health and environmental integrity.

The Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC), both operating under the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), have endorsed a proposal put forward by Germany to restrict the use of undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts, and related substances. The proposed measures are principally aimed at reducing human and environmental exposure to these chemicals, which are commonly found in food contact materials, textiles, and fire-fighting foams.

Why These Chemicals Are Under Scrutiny

PFHxA belongs to the broader family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, widely known as PFAS. These chemicals are recognised for their extreme persistence in the environment and their capacity for significant mobility across ecosystems. Scientific assessment has also linked certain PFAS substances to adverse effects on the human reproductive system.

As longer-chain perfluorinated substances have faced increasing regulatory pressure across the EU, many manufacturers have transitioned to shorter-chain alternatives such as PFHxA. This substitution has raised fresh concerns among regulators regarding the continued proliferation of persistent chemical compounds under the guise of compliance.

Committee Findings and Positions

RAC, which issued its opinion in June 2021, supported restrictions on uses where emissions cannot be adequately controlled through other means. Priority areas identified included consumer-facing applications such as food contact materials, textiles, and fire-fighting foams operated by municipal services and private households.

SEAC, which adopted its final opinion in December 2021, concluded that a restriction on PFHxA represents a broadly appropriate and proportionate regulatory response. The committee identified several use cases — including consumer apparel, paper and cardboard food packaging, and cosmetic products — where restrictions were considered justified. However, SEAC noted that data gaps in the available evidence prevented a definitive conclusion that the proposed restriction, in its entirety, constituted the most suitable course of action across all identified uses.

Broader Industry and Policy Implications

Peter Van der Zandt, ECHA's Director for Risk Management, underscored the scale and complexity of the challenge ahead: the PFAS group as a whole has been a growing concern, and while the EU has already restricted certain subgroups, further regulatory action is imminent. Forthcoming proposals are expected to address PFAS use in fire-fighting foams, as well as a sweeping restriction covering more than 4,000 chemicals across the entire PFAS class — a proposal being jointly prepared by five European countries.

These developments align with the EU's Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, under which the European Commission has committed to phasing out all non-essential PFAS uses, permitting their continued application only where they are demonstrably irreplaceable and of critical societal value.

For businesses operating in sectors that utilise PFAS-related substances — including food packaging, textiles, manufacturing, and emergency services — these regulatory developments warrant close attention. Organisations are advised to review their supply chains and material inputs in anticipation of stricter compliance requirements in the period ahead.

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