Hearing about restrictions on another PFAS: PFHxS

A public hearing invites you to comment on proposed amendments that will regulate PFHxS without any specific exemptions for its use. PFHxS belongs to the group of PFAS substances.

The production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is regulated by the Stockholm Convention. At the Convention’s tenth conference it was decided to include perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) in Annex A to the regulation implementing the Stockholm Convention.

Limit values
This will result in the following limit values for PFHxS, its salts and PFHxS-related compounds occurring as an unintentional trace contaminant in substances, mixtures or articles:

  • 0,025 mg/kg (0,0000025 % by weight) for PFHxS or any of its salts,
  • 1 mg/kg (0,0001 % by weight) for the sum of concentrations of all PFHxS-related compounds

PFHxS in firefighting foams
These limit values cannot be met when PFHxS is used in firefighting foams. Consequently, higher concentration limits will be established. These must be reviewed within 3 years with a view to lowering the limits.

The European Commission welcomes your say to the public hearing until 9 March 2023.

Consult the Commission for feedback rules and documents on the draft regulation.

For more information on PFHxS or other PFAS substances, please contact:

Helle Buchardt Boyd      
hbb@dhigroup.com  
Tel +45 4516 9097