As announced, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published on 7 February 2023 the proposal for restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that had been submitted by the five national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. This proposal includes certain substances used in cosmetics.
The details of the proposed restriction of around 10 000 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are thus now available on ECHA’s website.
Prepared by authorities in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, it aims to reduce PFAS emissions into the environment and make products and processes safer for people.
“All PFASs in the scope of the proposal are very persistent in the environment. If their releases are not minimised, people, plants and animals will be increasingly exposed, and without a restriction, such levels will be reached that have negative effects on people’s health and the environment,” The ECHA’s press release explains. “The authorities estimate that around 4.4 million tonnes of PFASs would end up in the environment over the next 30 years unless action is taken”.
Cosmetic substances in the restriction proposal
In one of its annexes, the restriction proposal states that PFASs are used intentionally in various categories of cosmetics as, for instance, emulsifiers, antistatics, stabilizers, surfactants, film formers, viscosity regulators and solvents.
She lists some of them such as:
• PTFE,
• C9-15 fluoroalcohol phosphate,
• Perfluorodecalin,
• Perfluorooctyl triethoxysilane,
• Perfluorononyl dimethicone,
• Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl ether,
• Acetyl trifluoromethylphenyl valylglycine,
• Methyl perfluorobutyl ether.
C9-15 fluoroalcohol …
