The snowball effect
It ’ s not often that I turn a news story into a full-length feature article but events are moving so fast in the world per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS ) that this month has been an exception . The latest developments , on one side of the Atlantic at least , are rounded up on p26-27 .
The actions being taken are following different , perhaps characteristic routes . In the US , the immediate driver has been class-action lawsuits . Meanwhile , in the EU a consultation is in process that will be completed in September . As for Brexit Britain … well I ’ d best not get started .
The last few months have seen two multi-billion dollar settlements to resolve water pollution claims related to PFAS . At the time of going to press , these had not yet received court approval , and the defendants had denied liability and reserved their right to continue to fight their cases , but the odds are that this will be done by the time you read this .
3M is setting aside over $ 10 billion , while DuPont , Chemours and Corteva , which were both substantially part of DuPont until recent times , have agreed to co-fund a similar settlement to the tune of nearly $ 1.2 billion . A subsidiary of Solvay has also reached a much smaller settlement in New Jersey .
That will not be the end of the story . The settlements are specific to water pollution , they do not cover every single place and members of the class actions have the right to opt out and pursue their cases . Some have already indicated that they will do so .
Meanwhile , as we reported a few months ago , five EU Member States have proposed restrictions on about 10,000 PFAS . ECHA ’ s scientific committees are now conducting an evaluation of the proposal of the risks PFAS to people and the environment , and the impacts a restriction would have on society .
Legislation , whatever form it finally takes , will be highly complex because the term PFAS refers to a whole family of substances . They have an extremely wide range of applications and are used extensively – the EU authorities estimate that around 4.4 million tonnes will end up in the environment over the next 30 years unless action is taken .
While the science is far from perfect , there are plenty of links between PFAS and multiple health issues . They accumulate in human and animal tissues , and they migrate into soil , water and air . They are very persistent in the environment . Phasing some out of production will not solve the problem .
The name ‘ forever chemicals ’ has really caught on in the mainstream media in recent years . And when that sort of attention is focused on a chemical or group of chemicals , their death spiral is pretty much guaranteed to be irreversible . How long it takes and how comprehensive it will be remains to be seen , but PFAS are on borrowed time .
As ever , someone ’ s problem is someone else ’ s opportunity . A lot of innovation and reformulation will be needed . The chemicals and materials industries will have to step up and do this . Coincidentally , as we prepared to go to press a press release turned up from German firm Frenzelit highlighting its work on PFAS-free gasket materials .
“ The impending ban of over 10,000 substances has led to a great deal of uncertainty among processors and consumers of products and materials containing this class of substances . Many sectors and industries are seeking ways to find and implement PFAS-free alternatives ,” the company stated . Clearly so and there will be much more to come .
Dr Andrew Warmington
EDITOR – SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE
SPECCHEMONLINE . COM 3