Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland; Institute for Ecopreneurship, FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jun 15;877:162618. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162618. Epub 2023 Mar 11.
The EU is planning to restrict the manufacture, placing on the market and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as a class. For such a broad regulatory approach, a lot of different data are required, including data on the hazardous properties of PFASs. Here, we analyze substances that fulfill the OECD definition of PFASs and that are registered under the regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) in the EU to obtain a better data basis for PFASs and to elucidate the range of PFASs on the market in the EU. As of September 2021, at least 531 PFASs had been registered under REACH. Our hazard assessment of the PFASs registered under REACH shows that the currently available data are not sufficient to identify those PFASs that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB). Using some basic assumptions - which are 1) PFASs or their metabolites do not mineralize, 2) neutral hydrophobic substances bioaccumulate unless they are metabolized and 3) all chemicals exhibit baseline toxicity, and effect concentrations cannot be above effect concentrations for baseline toxicity - shows that at least 17 of the 177 PFASs with full registration are PBT substances, 14 more than currently identified. Moreover, if mobility is considered as a hazard criterion, at least 19 additional substances will need to be considered hazardous. The regulation of persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) and very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) substances would therefore also affect PFASs. However, many of the substances that have not been identified as PBT, vPvB, PMT or vPvM are either persistent and toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative or persistent and mobile. The planned PFASs restriction will therefore be important for a more effective regulation of these substances.
欧盟正计划以全氟和多氟烷基物质 (PFASs) 这一类物质为对象，限制其制造、投放市场和使用。对于这种广泛的监管方法，需要大量不同的数据，包括关于 PFASs 危害性的相关数据。在这里，我们分析了符合经合组织对 PFASs 的定义且在欧盟《化学品注册、评估、授权和限制法规》（REACH）下注册的物质，以获得更好的 PFASs 基础数据，并阐明欧盟市场上 PFASs 的范围。截至 2021 年 9 月，至少有 531 种 PFASs 已根据 REACH 进行了注册。我们对 REACH 下注册的 PFASs 的危害评估表明，目前可用的数据不足以识别那些持久性、生物累积性和毒性（PBT）或非常持久性、非常生物累积性（vPvB）的 PFASs。基于一些基本假设 - 即 1）PFASs 或其代谢物不会矿化，2）除非被代谢，否则中性疏水性物质会生物累积，以及 3）所有化学物质都表现出基线毒性，且效应浓度不能高于基线毒性的效应浓度 - 表明至少有 17 种具有完整注册的 177 种 PFASs 是 PBT 物质，比目前识别出的要多 14 种。此外，如果将移动性视为危害标准，那么至少还需要考虑 19 种其他物质为有害的。因此，持久性、可移动性和毒性（PMT）以及非常持久性、非常可移动性（vPvM）物质的法规也将影响 PFASs。然而，许多未被确定为 PBT、vPvB、PMT 或 vPvM 的物质，要么是持久性和毒性、持久性和生物累积性或持久性和可移动性。因此，计划对 PFASs 进行限制对于更有效地监管这些物质非常重要。
