Recent ECHA and POP Restrictions on the Use of Substances from the PFAS Family

This article reports the recent restrictions imposed by ECHA regarding the presence of undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and substances that degrade or transform into PFHxA, which can be emitted into the environment, particularly into water, by products on the market in Europe.Some of these compounds have been designed as substances POPs (persistent organic pollutants) and other have been recently proposed and therefore being restricted worldwide.Several perfluoring and polypluorted alkylical substances (PFAS) have restrictions in their use in Europe, being present on the lists of substances under control by the ECHA, as part of the Reach directive.The article shown that will be the future of perfluoroalkylic acids from C2 to C16 carbon atoms, perfluoroalchilsolfonical acids from C4 to C8 carbon atoms and two complex perfluoroalkylic acids.Carbonfluorine bonds are the strongest bonds in organic chemistry and for this reason PFAS substances do not degrade in the environment and are found, at the end of their life, in soil, water, food and in the bodies of humans and animals.Since many of them are also toxic, they are the subject of serious accusations by society and, fortunately, also of restrictions.The ECHA lists where the different chemical products existing on the market in Europe are reported are the following: the "Candidate List", the "Authorization List", the "Restriction List", the list of "CoRAP" substances, the "Registration List" and the "Preregistration List".The type of toxicity of the substances considered here is taken from the CLP (Classification, Labeling and Packaging of Substances) regulation of Europe.