Global Measures Tighten on PFAS, Known as ‘Forever Chemicals’

Governments and intergovernmental agencies are piling on regulatory requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), more widely known as "forever chemicals." Industry used these chemical substances widely from mid-20th century in accordance with their thermal stability as well as their grease- and water-repelling action. PFAS are now also known to have long-term environmental as well as health effects through chronic aquatic as well as soil contamination.

PFAS find themselves in a huge range of industrial and consumer goods, from cars to aircraft, clothing to leather, electronics to home furnishings, food packaging to firefighting foam to medical equipment. Because they don't break down, PFAS have built up in the environment and in all living organisms since their invention, resulting in enormous groundwater, surface water, and soil contamination. A number of health consequences have been linked to PFAS exposure by scientific studies, prompting international regulatory agencies to implement bans and phase-out initiatives.

The very first international measure against PFAS came through the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Signed in 2001 and effective from 2004, the international convention focused on phasing out or limiting the production and use of persistent organic pollutants. In 2019, the Convention added perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to its list of banned chemicals. PFOA was already in widespread use by the U.S. company DuPont to make Teflon since the 1950s. There are other PFAS that have been added since then, such as PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid) in 2022 for use in fire-fighting foam, metal plating, clothing, and cleaning products, and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), used extensively in waterproofing agents, and which was banned in 2009.

PFAS regulation is gaining momentum in the European Union. The European Commission is working on a lead restriction project to restrict the use of PFAS on everyday consumer products, including food packaging and waterproof items. While proposed originally for 2025, its legislative proposal in 2026 stems primarily from lobbying which slowed down its processing. Exemptions will apply, especially for medicinal products deemed necessary.

The second major EU law is the December 2024 food packaging law, which adopts maximum concentration restrictions for PFAS in food-packaging materials. The legislation will come into effect in August 2026. The 2021 EU drinking water directive also requires EU members to measure and restrict concentrations of 20 different types of PFAS in drinking water by the year 2026.

Several European nations have already set the process going for initiating national actions. In May 2024, an action plan to combat PFAS-contaminated water and ground was initiated in Denmark. In the plan are bans on the use of PFAS in selected chemicals and fashion. PFAS have been banned from being used in food packages since 2020 by Denmark. Norway paves the way by banning PFOA for use in textile and consumer items as early as 2014.

France introduced new laws in February 2025 prohibiting PFAS from use in cosmetics, clothing, footwear, and ski waxes by 2026 and in all PFAS-treated textiles by 2030. The law also mandates the testing of drinking water for PFAS and adds a pollution tax whereby industrial polluters will have to pay €100 for every 100 grams of PFAS released into the environment. This is an application of the "polluter pays" principle becoming more common in environmental policy action.

On the other side of the ocean, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made drastic regulatory moves in 2024 by establishing maximum allowable concentration limits for six classes of PFAS in potable water. The regulations will be enforceable in 2029. The EPA also formally listed PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances, which may lead to further federal regulations and lawsuits against contaminators.

Canada was the world's follower in March 2025 when it implemented phase-wise banning of PFAS from different products. The Canadian initiative begins with the prohibition of firefighting foams, and phased-out use in cosmetics, apparel, food packaging, medical devices, and medication beginning from 2027.

General scientific and policymaker consensus today is that ubiquitous PFAS contamination presents a serious long-term environmental and public health risk. Accordingly, global and national effort is coalescing around policies to restrict use of PFAS, phase them out of consumer goods, and make polluters pay. These policies won't be in full effect for a number of years, but they represent a sea change in the international community's response to non-biodegradable chemical contaminants.

The regulatory trend also predicts a more general shift in industrial policy. Manufacturers that utilize PFAS in manufacturing will be required to transition their manufacturing materials and manufacturing technology to the levels of the future. Transitioning to alternatives of lower toxicity than PFAS will be one of the most essential elements of pollution prevention programs and environmental cleaning operations in the future.

With ever tighter regulatory controls, nations are to label, test for, and make more transparent domestic products and drinking water for PFAS. The enforcement will be spotty from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but the general trend is that the use of PFAS in domestic products is in decline, with sweeping bans and restrictions poised to reshape industries and consumers.

Source: Phys.org via AFP