The European Commission issued a draft regulation to add the restriction on Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related substances to Annex XVII, Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

PFOA and its salts and PFOA-related substances are used in a wide variety of applications such as in fluoropolymer and fluoroelastomer production, as surfactants in fire-fighting foams and in textile and paper production to provide water, grease, oil and/or dirt repellency.

The restrictions on PFOA and related substances are highlighted as below:

• shall not be manufactured or placed on the market as substance on their own form.
• shall not be used in a concentration equal to or above 25 ppb of PFOA including its salts or 1000 ppb of one or a combination of PFOA-related substances in the production of, or placed on the market in 
  a) Another substance, as a constituent; 
  b) A mixture; 
  c) An article, or any part thereof PFOA

The restriction will be effective 3 years after the date of entry into force of this regulation.

Exemptions for the article, or any part are highlighted as below:

• Implantable medical devices within the scope of 93/42/EEC
• Films, papers or printing plates coated with the photographic coatings
• Compound semiconductors with photo-lithography processes or in etching processes.

Note:

PFOA is identified as a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substance (PBT) and was included in the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) in 2013.

Intertek Softlines focuses on textile and footwear service, which is one of the earliest businesses that Intertek developed in China. Starting from 1989, Intertek Softlines has set up laboratories and offices in textile and footwear industry clusters, and now can support its customers through its network of more than 20 laboratories and offices and over 2000 experts and professionals around China.

We can not only offer testing and certification services for finished products including textile and garment, shoes and leather goods, but also help companies to ｅｘｅｃute quality control over the whole industry chain from raw material to finished products.

Our Main Services:

• Textile, Apparel and Accessories testing
• Footwear and Material testing
• Handbag & Leather Goods testing
• Individual Protective Equipment (PPE) testing and certification
• Restricted substances testing

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

www.intertek.com.cn