Most PFAS are persistent, some are hazardous, others aren’t. Some PFAS are used in critical applications whereas other applications use PFAS as other materials don’t perform as well but where alternatives may be available or potentially developed even if these alternatives may not be technically equivalent. Is the technical performance of PFAS always required? Has society, including the chemical industry, become dependent on PFAS without fully appreciating their impact on the environmental and sustainability? Are less critical PFAS applications needed to ensure availability for the essential ones? How do we decide between trivial, critical and essential applications and uses? Are all PFAS really the ‘chemical devils’ they are portrayed to be?
There are so many questions about PFAS and whether they have a viable future due to the developing regulatory landscape globally despite their many applications. A brief overview on current and developing EU and UK regulations will be shared along with an opinion on the direction of future regulation and applications of PFAS.
