PFAS: Has the pharmaceutical industry been considered?
The EU’ s proposed ban on most PFAS materials is conceptually an important step, but will have significant detrimental impacts on the chemical and( bio) pharma industries worldwide unless appropriately considered, says Dr Julian Northen, technical director at Onyx Scientific
PFAS Applications
PFAS manufacture Textile, upholstery, leather, apparel & carpets *
Food contact materials & packaging *
Metal plating & manufacture of metal products *
Consumer mixtures * Cosmetics * Ski wax * Applications of fluorinated gases *
Medical devices * Transport * Electronics & semiconductors * Energy sector *
Construction products * Lubricants * Petroleum & mining * Waste-stage PFAS applications
Laboratory equipment & filtration |
Plant protection products & biocides |
Chemical industry |
Firefighting foam |
Medicinal products Plastics( other than packaging) & rubber / elastomer production( including flame retardants)
Pyrotechnics
Personal care products other than cosmetics
Fracking( currently hardly applicable in EEA) |
Immersion cooling( currently hardly applicable in EEA) |
Defence industry |
Printing inks |
Cement industry Professional cleaning & polishing Other niche applications Uses( yet) unknown
Table 1 – Proposed PFAS restriction proposal
Note: Green – researched in detail; blue – researched in general; orange – not researched in detail; purple – subjected to a separate restriction proposal. * – impacts considered in the dossier
The prevalence in the environment of per and polyfluorinated alkyl substances( PFAS), known colloquially as‘ forever chemicals’, is of increasing public and political concern. Within the media, the profusion of PFAS materials is well documented, and their use in everyday products such as non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, personal care items and food packaging is regularly cited.
The properties that make PFAS useful – many are chemically inert, and oil-, water-, heat- and stain- resistant – can bring significant drawbacks, including their high environmental persistence, mobility and bioaccumulation. 1 However, not all PFAS are equivalent, and to treat them in this manner is an oversimplification, especially in relation to their toxicity, persistence and degradation, as well as the methods required for their detection, extraction and decontamination. 2
While the total number of PFAS materials in existence is unknown, estimates suggest that there could be over 10,000, with many more likely in development. Accordingly, as their ubiquity increases and understanding of their environmental consequences expands, PFAS are being subjected to increasing levels of scrutiny and regulation.
Some countries are already implementing their own restrictions. For example, in February 2025 France enacted Law No. 2055-188 specifically relating to PFAS. There is also a move towards regulation on a larger scale, with the EU releasing an updated proposal restricting the use of PFAS under REACH and
22 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981