Introduction
According to Bluesign®: From July 2024, textile products treated with C6 chemicals will only be recognized under extremely special circumstances, so-called essential uses. In the next step, textile waterproofing agents will gradually enter the era of fluorine-free waterproofing agents.
PFAS/PFC chemical substances phase-out plan: According to Bluesign®: Starting from July 2024, textiles using PFAS/PFC chemical substances in the production process will be removed from the shelves of bluesign® GUIDE.
Powdered enzymes will also be banned: According to Bluesign®: Because powdered enzymes are classified as strong inhalation sensitizers, powdered enzymes will not be bluesign® APPROVED.
Further reading:
The full English name of PFAS is per/polyfluoroalkyl substances, that is, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds.
PFAS includes nearly 5,000 industrially produced chemical substances. Common ones such as PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFCAs, etc. are all PFAS.
PFAS related control regulations:
History: Banning of C8 Waterproofing Agent
The production process of C8 waterproofing agent will produce two by-products, PFOA and PFOS, and the harmfulness of these two chemicals has gradually been confirmed.
Regardless of the electrolysis method or the telomerization method, it is impossible to make the PFOA and PFOS content less than 1.0 μg/m2 after the C8 waterproofing agent is added to the fabric, which determines that the C8 waterproofing agent must be eliminated.
On December 17, 2006, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers jointly issued the Directive on Restrictions on the Sales and Use of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (2006/122/EC).
In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an ultimatum ordering eight chemical companies including DuPont to stop using perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), the core ingredient needed to make Teflon. Along with DuPont, DuPont Ceramics also received the EPA order. A number of well-known industry giants such as Elastomers, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. of Japan, Ciba Specialty Chemicals of Switzerland, and Clariant of Germany.
In 2015, Oeko-tex 100 uniformly lowered the limit conditions for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to <1.0μg/m2, and the limit for perfluorooctane sulfonyl compounds (PFOS) from ≤1.0μg/m2 to <1.0μg/m2.
</p
