Seals makers track progress of upcoming PFAS consultation

Neu-Ulm, Germany - The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has released guidance documents and an extensive mapping of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) uses.

The European Sealing Association said in a recent release that the guidance is intended to support stakeholders taking part in SEAC’s upcoming consultation on the proposed PFAS restriction.(ERJ report)

The guidance, it said, aligns with information presented during ECHA’s latest webinar in October last year, and outlines the structure and procedures of the consultation surveys.

The agency also details the specific types of questions to be asked, including single- and multiple-choice, numerical, and open-ended questions, with responses of up to 5,000 characters.

According to ESA, the ECHA committee will conduct two consultation surveys:

A sector-specific survey which will focus on specific evaluations of PFAS uses across 14 sectors, as well as PFAS manufacturing.

ESA noted that the scope of the SEAC evaluation varies by sector, and the information requested ranges from specific uses to sub-uses and individual applications, as defined in the PFAS use mapping.

This scope, referred to as the SEAC evaluation level, questions address alternatives, volumes, and impacts on both organisations and society.

For relevant sectors, an additional question addresses the cost and feasibility of “restriction option 3.”

Another ‘general survey’ includes questions related to the main sections of the SEAC draft opinion that apply across all sectors.

Here, ESA stressed that responses should clearly reference the relevant sections and conclusions of the opinion and specify the sectors to which the comments relate.

All responses must be submitted directly through the survey platform as attachments are not permitted.

Confidential information may be included, provided that an appropriate justification is supplied.

While the guideline document will be useful for sectors undergoing a specific SEAC evaluation, ESA said preparation may be more challenging for the eight additional sectors — such as sealing applications — that are not included in the sector-specific evaluation.