On September 20, 2024, the Official Journal of the European Union published Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, amending Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation to include a new entry (79) concerning the restriction of undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and PFHxA-related substances. This regulation will automatically become law in member states 20 days after its publication and will be enforced, having universal binding force and directly applicable to all EU member states. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has compiled a non-exhaustive list of PFHxA and its salts and related substances.
Substances Information | |
Undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and PFHxA-related substances | Excluded Substances |
1. having a linear or branched perfluoropentyl group with the formula C5F11– directly attached to another carbon atom as one of the structural elements; or 2. having a linear or branched perfluorohexyl group with the formula C6F13– | 1. C6F14 2. C6F13–C (=O) OH, C6F13–C (=O) O-X ‘or C6F13–CF2–X’ (where X ‘=any functional group, including salts) 3. any substance having a perfluoroalkyl group C6F13– directly attached to an oxygen atom at one of the non-terminal carbon atoms. |
Main Limit Requirements of Entry 79 in REACH Annex XVII: in a concentration less than 25 ppb for the sum of PFHxA and its salts, 1000 ppb for the sum of PFHxA-related substances, measured in homogeneous material. The following are the main controlled products and their effective dates:
Controlled Products | Effective Date |
The products for the general public, including textiles, leather, furs and hides in clothing and related accessories, footwear, mixtures; Paper and cardboard used as food contact materials; Cosmetic products. | October 10, 2026 |
For the general public, including textiles, leather, and fur in products other than clothing and related accessories | October 10, 2027 |
Firefighting foams and firefighting foam concentrates used for public fire services, training, and testing. | April 10, 2026 |
Firefighting foams and firefighting foam concentrates for civil aviation (including in civilian airports) | October 10, 2029 |
Resource:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=OJ:L_202402462