EU: Public consultation on Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) – limits for perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA) in polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micropowders

 

The EU Commission is carrying out a public consultation on an amendment to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the persistent organic pollutant perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds.

Article 1 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (‘POPs Regulation’) establishes as the objective of that Regulation to protect human health and the environment from Persistent Organic Pollutants (‘POPs’) by prohibiting, phasing out as soon as possible, or restricting the manufacturing, placing on the market and use of substances subject to the Stockholm Convention on POPs.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds have been listed in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/784 (‘PFOA entry’).

Following Article 4(1)(b) of the POPs Regulation, the PFOA entry in Annex I includes Unintentional Trace Contaminant (UTC) limits for PFOA, its salts and PFOArelated compounds in some substances, mixtures and articles.

In 2020, ECHA’s Scientific Committees adopted an opinion1 which included the assessment of the two UTC limits set for PFOA in:

• polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micropowders,
• intermediates used in the production of C6 alternatives

Annex I to the POPs Regulation includes a UTC limit for PFOA and its salts in PTFE micropowders of 1 mg/kg, to be reviewed by 5 July 2022. ECHA’s Committees concluded that processes have been developed to reduce the concentration of PFOA to below the generic UTC level of 0,025 mg/kg (25 ppb) set out in the POPs Regulation. These processes have been successfully implemented by most PTFE micropowder manufacturers. The remaining manufacturers would be able to comply with the limit of 0,025 mg/kg by 5 July 2022. For this reason, the Commission proposes that the specific UTC limit for PTFE micro powders should expire on 5 July 2022.

The public consultation can be accessed HERE.