3 key takeaways from PFAS Live

There's no doubt that the ongoing saga of PFAS and its impact on the rubber and plastics industry has no end in sight.

Some are calling the potential costs and issues related to human health, the water supply and the environment "the asbestos" of our generation. So it's clear that those in the fluoroelastomer and fluoropolymer business—both suppliers and users of the "forever chemicals"—must keep a close eye on all that is happening with regards to fast-changing regulations, how supply of materials will be forced to evolve and what litigation is wreaking havoc.

And in case you missed it, PFAS Live was full of information designed to help you do just that.

Rubber News, Plastics News and Sustainable Plastics—all publications within the Global Polymer Group of Crain Communications—combined to offer the Sept. 26 livestream, which featured three industry experts giving separate perspectives on the state of PFAS.

The presenters included:

• Jay West, senior director of chemical products and technology at the American Chemistry Council, who covered regulatory activity;
• Cy Genna, regulatory advocacy leader for Chemours Advanced Performance Materials, who made the case that the fluoroelastomers and fluoropolymers in use have been, and continue to be, safe in their intended use; and
• Peter Schmitt, managing director at Montesino, who shed light on how PFAS is having a significant impact on the medical market.

Here's one key takeaway from each of the PFAS Live speakers.

And if you want to know more, you still can register to view a recording of the entire webcast, including 25 minutes of engaging Q&A, by visiting rubbernews.com/events.

West, of the ACC, emphasized that some have positioned all PFAS, including fluoropolymers, as being the same and belonging to one regulatory class. But that's not the case, he said, as different types of PFAS have different properties, and therefore different potential health and environmental implications.

"Policies that seek to impose overly broad restrictions based on big generalizations about all kinds of PFAS can have major impact on the future availability of fluoropolymers for all downstream user industries," West said on PFAS Live. "We think that it's very important for regulators and legislators to hear not only from fluoropolymer manufacturers, but it is absolutely essential that they hear from the industries that rely on fluoropolymers."

Fluoropolymers, he added, have highly desirable properties that can help a variety of industries meet regulatory and safety requirements. The materials offer stability; are practically insoluble in water and not subject to long-range transport; cannot cross the cell membrane; and are not bioavailable or bioaccumulative.

West said the casual use of the term PFAS when talking about substances like PFOA and PFOS that have been tied to a variety of negative consequences can lead to policies with unintended consequences.

"One cannot assume that decision makers understand your industry, know your industry, know the materials that you use," he said. "And it really is incumbent on people who rely on these substances to get in front of decision makers and try to engineer a teachable moment about potential consequences of a policy that's in progress."

Chemours, a spinoff from DuPont, is home to some of the most well-known brands of fluoropolymers. The firm manufactures Viton fluoroelastomers, Teflon, and Nafion membranes, dispersions and resins.

Genna focused on why fluoropolymers are thought to be safe and deserving of being put in a separate category from some of the other PFAS chemicals. He noted that, in general, PFAS substances are categorized together because they all have a carbon-fluorine bond, which is considered one of the strongest single bonds.

But because of this, fluoropolymers are lumped in with other kinds of fluorine chemistries and gases in a way he claimed is inappropriate from a scientific standpoint.

"The application of a broad chemical structural definition for PFAS brings into play so many different kinds of substances that don't have similar properties" Genna said during his presentation. "They probably don't require the same kind of regulation, and in many cases there are issues regarding the measurement and detection of some of these compounds. The vast number of compounds here leads to grouping of things have very different characteristics."

The unique properties of fluoropolymers, he said, make them critical materials for applications such as the production of semiconductors, the automotive industry—in both internal combustion engines and electric vehicles—and in helping to make the hydrogen economy a reality.

Genna argued that fluoropolymers such as Teflon and Viton have been used in many ways because of their unique combination of properties, and where other kinds of materials have not been able to deliver the kind of performance that is required.

"There has been technical work to publish papers to show how many types of fluoropolymers meet the criteria accepted internationally for 'polymers of low concern,' which is to say those are substances of low concern to cause harm to the environment or human health." Genna said.

"Again, this unique combinations of properties is what's led to the widespread use of the materials, and what makes them also very difficult to replace."

Industry veteran Schmitt, whose company has worked with both material and technology suppliers to develop expertise in polymers, gave an interesting perspective on the dilemma for those involved with health care—both users and suppliers.

"One way to look at this is to say, 'Well, what are we going to do? Are we going to save the patient or are we going to save the planet?' " he asked. "Obviously what we are going to do as an industry is begin to work to do both."

The first PFAS question for health care, Schmitt said, focuses on an issue those in the sector are familiar with in everyday work. That is persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity, commonly known by the acronym PBT.

PFAS are difficult to break down, having a high persistence in the environment, and is found in human and animal blood globally today, he said.

As for bioaccumulation, there is concern that more PFAS is absorbed in the body than is eliminated, and there's an increasing concern on the buildup of PFAS in fish, wildlife and animals.

And the issue with toxicity is documented by a detection of changes in liver enzyme levels, along with changes that have been found in immune systems and vaccine response, changes in cholesterol levels and an increase in birth defects, he said. .

The second area of concern involves manufacturing, as PFAS is used in articles and components, as well as mixtures, additives and waste products. Schmitt added that the disposal and remediation of PFAS is another major concern.

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding PFAS and how the issues play out. The potential for bans, restrictions and regulations are all on the table, he said. And at least three large groups will play major roles in the outcome: government, regulatory bodies, and producers and end users.

And as the process moves forward, as PFAS is regulated or banned, there is a strong likelihood of the medical sector facing major supply chain disruptions—again.

"Issues on occupational health and safety, and manufacturing and process alterations—never fun, never easy to do—are also on the horizon," Schmitt said. "We have a challenging problem. The devil is in the details. And there's a risk of those details not being properly understood, and the wrong scale being used to make decisions."