PFHxS is to be listed in POPs regulations

Recently, the European Commission launched public comments on a draft act of POPs Regulation ((EU)2019/1021), and the deadline for comments was March 9, 2023. This initiative amends Annex I to the Regulation to include Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds as substances that are subject to certain restrictions. If this draft act is passed, the list of the prohibited substances in Annex I of POPs regulations will be increased from 28 to 29.

The draft proposes to add the following entry to Part A of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021:

About PFHxS：

PFHxS is called perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, and its salts and PFHxS-related substances, which are used in fire fighting foams, metal electroplating, textiles, polishing agents, cleaning/detergents, coatings, paper products, electronic and semiconductor manufacturing and other fields, are often used as substitutes for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFHxS is harmful to the environment and human health, and ECHA has listed it in substances of very high concern (SVHC) list in July 2017. In June 2022, PFHxS, its salts and PFHxS-related compounds have been officially listed in Stockholm Convention.

CTT warm reminder：

In recent years, the legislations of PFAS continue to increase in global, and the strict control of PFAS has become a common trend in the world. As an important component of perfluoro and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS), PFHxS has attracted the worldwide attention because of its persistence in the environment and higher bioaccumulation in human body.

CTT reminds relevant enterprises that you should continue to pay attention to the update progress of PFHxS and check PFHxS in their products as soon as possible to ensure the compliance of their products. CTT can provide enterprises with one-stop comprehensive solutions for consulting, testing and training. For more detailed information, please contact us.

Official original link：https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13425-Persistent-organic-pollutants-perfluorohexane-sulfonic-acid-PFHxS-_en