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A Section 508-conformant HTML version ofthis article
is available at http://dx.dol.org/10.1289/ehp.1509944.
Alternatives to PFASs: Perspectives on
the Science
http: //d`x. doi. o rg/10.1289/ehp.1509944
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFASs) are ubiquitous in our lives.
These chemicals are used as surfactants and as water and oil repel-
lents in a variety of consumer products such as cosmetics, food
packaging, furnishings, and clothing. Since their initial marketing
more than 60 years ago, extensive research has demonstrated that the
long -chain PFASs are highly persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic
(Buck et al. 2011). As a result, they are being phased out in many
countries. However, controversy has emerged regarding the safety of
the most common alternatives, the short -chain PFASs.
In the Madrid Statement on Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances
(PFASs), Blum et al. (2015) question the use of the entire class of
PFASs, including short -chain fluorinated alternatives. Authored by
14 experts on the health effects, environmental fate, and policy issues
concerning PFASs, the Madrid Statement documents the scientific
consensus about the extreme environmental persistence, bioaccumula-
tion, and potential toxicity of the overall class of PFASs (Blum et al.
2015). The statement defines a roadmap for scientists, governments,
product manufacturers, purchasing organizations, and consumers
to work together to limit the production and use of PFASs glob-
ally and to develop safer alternatives. Since it was presented at the
34th International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent Organic
Pollutants, held 31 August-5 September 2014 in Madrid, Spain,
206 scientists and professionals from 40 countries have signed the
Statement (Blum et al. 2015).
In a response to the Madrid Statement in this issue of EHP, the
FluoroCouncil, which represents the world's leading fluorotechnology
companies, agrees that it "could support many of these policy recom-
mendations if they were limited to long -chain PFASs" (Bowman 2015).
The FluoroCouncil supports the call to action from the scientific and
professional community to limit the production and environmental
release of long -chain PFASs but states that "the short -chain PFAS sub-
stances studied to date are not expected to harm human health or the
environment," as they "are eliminated more rapidly from the body and
are less toxic than long -chain substances" (Bowman 2015).
Although there is agreement regarding the shorter human half-lives
of short -chain PFASs, the Helsingor Statement on PFASs (Scheringer
et al. 2014) and other recent publications (Gomis et al. 2015; Wang
et al. 2013, 2015) expressed concerns that fluorinated replacements
are similar to the PFASs they replaced in terms of their chemical struc-
ture, environmental persistence, and hazardous potential for both the
environment and humans. Given the fact that research raised concern
about the long -chain PFASs for many years before action was taken
and that global contamination and toxicity have been documented in
the general population (Grandjean and Clapp 2014), potential risks
of the short -chain PFASs should be taken into account when choosing
replacements for the longer -chain compounds.
There are numerous similar examples of replacements for
other chemical classes, in which banned or phased -out chemicals
have been replaced with structurally similar chemicals. For example,
polychlorinated biphenyls were replaced with chlorinated paraffins
(National Toxicology Program 2014), polybrominated diphenyl ethers
were replaced with other halogenated flame retardants (Birnbaum
and Staskal 2004), and bisphenol A has been replaced with bisphenol
S, at least in some applications (Rochester and Bolden 2015). Such
l
straightforward replacement
strategies may be cost
effective in the short term.
However, manufacturers
Linda S. Birnbaum may yet incur costs if the
closely related alternative is
later found to be as toxic as its predecessor. In fact, there are now multi -
stakeholder efforts to improve the choice of alternatives to chemicals of
concern (Birnbaum 2013; National Research Council 2014).
It has been difficult to find substitutes that match the function
and performance level of PFASs. The chemical and thermal stability of
PFASs as well as their hydrophobic and oleophobic properties provide
unique material benefits (Buck et al. 2011). Significant innovation is
thus required to find functional nonfluorinated alternatives to PFASs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized
such innovation by awarding its 2014 Designing Greener Chemicals
Award to a halogen -free firefighting foam (U.S. EPA 2014).
The growing global field of chemical alternatives assessment
(CAA) provides tools and strategies for identifying compounds,
materials, or product designs to substitute for the use of hazard-
ous chemicals (Lavoie et al. 2010). For example, the California
Department of Toxic Substances Control is using CAA in its
Safer Consumer Products Program, whose objective is to remove
toxic chemicals from products (California Department of Toxic
Substances Control 2010). Many CAAs have already been con-
ducted, and many more are in progress (e.g., Substitution in Practice
of Prioritized Fluorinated Chemicals to Eliminate Diffuse Sources
2015). Conducting CAAs may prove valuable in clarifying the state
of the science among potential alternatives to PFASs and providing
guidance for future research and innovation. Nevertheless, finding an
optimal alternative substance or technology is not straightforward,
and CAAs may not always offer solutions. For instance, suitable non -
fluorinated alternatives for certain functions of PFASs, such as stain
resistance, appear to be lacking or underdeveloped.
Research is needed to understand the potential for adverse health
effects from exposure to the short -chain PFASs, especially regard-
ing low -dose endocrine disruption and immunotoxicity. In parallel,
research is needed to find safe alternatives for all current uses of PFASs.
The question is, should these chemicals continue to be used in con-
sumer products in the meantime, given their persistence in the envi-
ronment? And, in the absence of indisputably safe alternatives, are
consumers willing to give up certain product functionalities, such as
stain resistance, to protect themselves against potential health risks?
These conundrums cannot be resolved by science alone but need to be
considered in an open discussion informed by the scientific evidence.
In 2012 P.G. prepared an expert report on human health risks froru
exposure to perfluorinated compounds for the Minnesota Department of Health.
L.S.B. declares she has no actual orpotential competingfinancial interests.
Linda S. Birnbaum' and Philippe Grandjean2,3
'National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA; 2University of Southern Denmark, Odense,
Denmark; 3Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
E-mail: [e-mail]
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