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Fluoropolymers across Their Life Cycle: Why “Emissions Reduction” Is Not “Safe”

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: I n the context of the proposal for a universal restriction on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the European Union, recent industry reports argue that all uses of fluoropolymers (FPs) should be excluded from such restrictions.1,2 They claim that FPs are nontoxic, nonbioaccumulative, nonmobile, and that modern technologies can effectively control emissions of PFAS building blocks and processing aids at the manufacturing stage, as well as PFAS breakdown products at the end-of-life stages.By citing destruction and removal efficiencies (DREs) as high as 99.99%, these reports conclude that FPs pose a "negligible" risk across their life cycle.According to an extensive body of independent evidence, 3-5 these claims rely on flawed assumptions.

Source: Environmental Science & Technology

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6c12936