Perfluooctanic Acid Use, Production Data Requested By EPA
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting public comment and seeking additional data on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts, the agency announced in an April 16 1Federal Register notice
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The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting public comment and seeking additional data on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts, the agency announced in an April 16 1 Federal Register notice. Consumer products are not currently believed to contain PFOA, but some products - including personal care and cleaning products - may contain fluorinated telomers "that might degrade over time in the environment to form PFOA, and may be metabolized to form PFOA if they get inside living organisms," EPA says. Telomers are used primarily in oil, stain, grease and water repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather and paper. The agency is soliciting comments on a preliminary assessment released by EPA demonstrating a potential developmental toxicity risk associated with exposure to the chemical based on animal studies. EPA also is seeking additional data on chemicals made with PFOA and its salts, such as use and production volume information, exposure data and monitoring assessments. The comment deadline is May 16. Additionally, the agency is interested in developing an industry-sponsored testing program to address EPA's current data needs regarding PFOA through an Enforceable Consent Agreement. A public meeting has been scheduled for June 6 to initiate negotiations on an ECA. EPA began investigating PFOA in 2000 when chemical manufacturer 3M found traces of the synthetic chemical in human blood while conducting studies. 3M has since stopped manufacturing PFOA. EPA initially expected to complete its investigation within a few months, but substantial uncertainties remain associated with the review, the agency says. While the risk assessment showed that "general U.S. population may be exposed to very low levels of PFOA," remaining uncertainties include identification of the pathway that results in human exposure to PFOA and "how PFOA gets into those pathways (including the products or processes that are responsible)," EPA states. Currently DuPont is the only U.S. manufacturer of PFOA. DuPont along with Clariant, Daikin Industries and Asahi Glass manufacture telomers at various facilities worldwide, according to EPA. |