Press note: European competitiveness will not be harmed by a PFAS restriction – but without it, people’s health will be

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is concerned about the perspective taken in the Draghi report on the REACH regulation and the economic implications of replacing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in certain sectors. While the report is concerned about the economic implications from transitioning away from PFAS, this approach is fundamentally flawed given the health costs and severe health and environmental consequences associated with these substances, including for freshwater, food and soil contamination. 

PFAS take thousands of years to break down, and are associated with serious health conditions, including various types of cancer, thyroid disease, immune dysfunction and hormone disruption.

Annual health costs related to PFAS exposure are estimated to range between 52-84 billion euros for Europe alone. Nearly 23,000 sites have been identified as contaminated with PFAS around Europe, and 12,5 million Europeans have been reported to live in communities with PFAS-polluted drinking water.

EU members states have decided to take coordinated EU action to address this alarming pollution through the proposed EU-wide PFAS restriction within the framework of REACH. The concerns of the Draghi report are misleading as the proposed restriction does provide derogations for specific uses. However, HEAL believes due to the abundant scientific evidence on the harmful effects of PFAS on health, all derogations should have strict time limits, to help phase out PFAS for good and promote safer alternative technologies, as this has already been the case for certain uses.

“The concerns expressed in the Draghi report over the lack of alternative technologies for certain industries considering the EU PFAS ban in preparation are misleading, as the proposed EU-wide PFAS restriction does allow derogations for certain industries and uses. PFAS are a major threat to our health and environment, as they can persist for thousands of years and accumulate in our bodies. They are linked to numerous adverse health outcomes including cancers, thyroid disease, immune dysfunction, and hormone disruption. HEAL calls on European decision makers to protect the health of people by supporting the proposed EU-wide PFAS restriction, and  setting clear time limits for any derogations,” states Sandra Jen, Programme Lead on Health and Chemicals at HEAL.

More information: HEAL’s response to the public consultation on the proposal for an EU PFAS Restriction