The PFAS fact check

What are PFAS?

PFAS is an abbreviation for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances. PFAS are partially fluorinated or fully fluorinated substances that contain a -CF2- or a -CF3- grouping. Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances as a category consist of thousands of synthetic chemicals that are widely used in society and found in the environment. They are among the strongest chemical compounds in organic chemistry due to the carbon-fluorine bonds. PFASs are difficult to break down, both during use and in the environment. They can be gaseous, liquid or solid and cannot be smelled, tasted or seen.

Where are PFAS found?

PFAS are not natural substances, they have been produced since the 1940s and can be detected at 1500 locations in Germany. They are persistent and are also referred to as eternal chemicals or poisons of the century. PFAs are water, grease and dirt repellent as well as chemically and thermally stable. Because of these properties, they are used in many consumer products such as cosmetics, cooking accessories, paper coatings and textiles. PFAS are also used for the surface treatment of metals and in plastics, pesticides and fire extinguishing agents.

How do PFAS become a problem for the environment?

PFAS are divided into short-chain and long-chain substances. Short-chain PFAS are extremely long-lived and tend to distribute quickly, e.g. via waste water. Long-chain PFAS are also long-lived in the environment and partly in living organisms; they accumulate in various organisms, including humans. PFAS are unintentionally released into the environment through production processes, as well as during use and disposal. The sources of release are industry, extinguishing water and extinguishing foam, as well as landfills and waste incineration plants. These transport PFAS through exhaust air and waste water. They end up in drinking water and can also be detected in meat, fish, eggs and also in the air and in house dust. Due to their longevity, their concentration could quickly exceed a safe threshold value and thus increase the environmental and health risk.

What are the health risks of PFAS?

People can ingest PFAS primarily through food and drinking water. PFAS are introduced into food in different ways: they can be detected in soil, drinking water, animal feed and packaging. According to the EFSA, animal products in particular are contaminated with PFAS. Some members of the substance group can weaken the immune system of children, disrupt fat metabolism, impair fertility and brain development, cause liver and kidney damage as well as testicular cancer and thyroid disorders. They can also reduce the immune response and impair the effect of vaccinations.

How could PFAS be further restricted or banned in the near future?

The restriction proposal formulates two different regulatory options: A complete ban of all PFAS without exception (Restriction Option 1) or a ban with time-limited, application-specific exceptions (Restriction Option 2). This would ban the manufacture, use and placing on the market of the substances as such, as components in substances, mixtures and articles (≥50 ppm total fluorine content)

What are the consequences of the ban?

A complete ban on PFAS will lead to the decommissioning of industrial plants. In addition, future technologies in the field of renewable energies or electrification in the automotive industry could be jeopardized or their further development drastically slowed down. The ban will also have socio-economic effects that will burden the economy and society. Alternative materials without PFAS are likely to be more expensive and perform worse, as they have higher acquisition costs and shorter service lives. This also means more maintenance intervals, production interruptions and productivity losses.

Why are not all PFAS banned yet?

The PFAS substance group comprises more than 10,000 substances, only some of which are known to be used. The large number and variety of uses places high demands on the authorities. In some cases, PFAS cannot yet be substituted, as they are essential components in, for example, fire-fighting foams, technical protective clothing or medical products.

Which of our materials are affected?

Also affected: MurPrint® Tribo 6 Green (filament)

How do we at Murtfeldt process PFAS-containing materials?

We offer semi-finished products and finished parts machined from those. These products are used exclusively in industrial applications. The material selection is application-specific, taking into account the material requirements resulting from the intended use, the application and environmental conditions.

Fluoropolymers open up a unique range of properties due to their special chemical structure. In many applications, the materials used are difficult to substitute, as they are generally used under extreme operating conditions (high/low operating temperatures, aggressive chemical environment, special tribological requirements, etc.). Semi-finished products made of fluoropolymers and fluorine-containing polymers are machined (mechanically) by us into individual finished parts. The resulting processing residues and offcuts are systematically fractionated at Murtfeldt and then returned to the recycling cycle.

Nevertheless, we consider the upstream and downstream processes of production and disposal, over which we have no influence, to be so critical for people and the environment that we support the reduction measures to the best of our ability.

What alternatives are there so far?

Material substitution involves replacing entire property profiles: mechanical, thermal, chemical, optical and tribological properties, as well as machining behavior are the decisive factors. PE-UHMW and PEEK are being considered as alternatives. It would be difficult to produce a material that combines all the properties of PTFE, for example, as a substitute. The more sensible project would be to concentrate on individual required properties and find or develop an alternative material accordingly.

We find alternatives to PFAS

What happens next?

The six-month consultation phase on the PFAS restriction proposal ended on September 25, 2023. More than 5.600 submissions were received from organizations, companies and individuals worldwide. The submissions are now being reviewed and evaluated by two ECHA scientific committees (RAC/SEAC). ECHA is expected to publish the first results of the evaluation process in the third quarter of 2024.