Demand for PFAS-free products is increasing globally due to growing evidence of the chemicals’ detrimental health and environmental impacts. Regulators are catching up on the issue, as demonstrated by recent and upcoming prohibitions on PFAS in food packaging in the EU and various US states. A more wide-reaching restriction on PFAS under EU chemicals legislation has also been proposed.
It can be challenging to prove that a product or material does not contain PFAS, as the group consists of thousands of chemicals that cannot all be screened from a product individually. This is why PFAS-free testing relies on a combination of targeted analysis and total organic fluorine (TOF) screening as a proxy for total PFAS presence.
PFAS-free criteria
While it is technically impossible to prove the absence of thousands of chemicals conclusively, a product can be considered practically PFAS-free if the following conditions are met:
Total organic fluorine content is less than 50 ppm
Individual PFAS compounds are not present in concentrations above 25 ppb
The sum of individual PFAS compounds is less than 250 ppb
These conditions are outlined in a European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) report accompanying the proposal to restrict all PFAS in the EU. The same thresholds are also applied in the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which bans PFAS in food packaging.1
Testing for organic or total fluorine is crucial to demonstrate the absence of PFAS, as targeted analyses generally contain a maximum of a few dozen well-known compounds. If only selected substances are analyzed, the possible substitution of high-profile PFAS with other similarly persistent fluorinated chemicals may go unnoticed.
Which products should be tested?
PFAS chemicals have historically been used across various consumer product categories to provide non-stick properties and enhance water and grease repellency. Some of the most typical products known to contain PFAS include the following:
Food packaging, especially coated paper and cardboard, such as microwave popcorn bags and baking paper
Non-stick cookware
Water-proof and stain-resistant textiles and footwear
Cosmetics and hygiene products, including waterproof mascara, foundation, lipstick, dental floss, and menstrual products
Ski wax
Numerous cases of such products containing PFAS have been reported in the media in recent years, often leading to public outcry.2 It can therefore be a considerable competitive advantage for companies to demonstrate that their products are PFAS-free.
Our analytical solutions
Measurlabs provides laboratory testing to evaluate the credibility of PFAS-free claims for a variety of consumer products, their raw materials, and intermediates. You can find typical prices and analyzed parameters for some of our most popular services through the links below:
We can also provide testing for other materials – just note that pricing and availability will depend on the sample and the extent of pretreatment it will require. Do not hesitate to contact our experts for an offer or further questions about analysis options.
References
1 See page 4 of ECHA’s 2023 Annex XV Restriction Report: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and Article 5 of the provisional political agreement on the PPWR.
2 See, for example, The New York Times on PFAS in period products and The Guardian on PFAS in food packaging.