TY - JOUR

T1 - Finding essentiality feasible

T2 - common questions and misinterpretations concerning the "essential-use" concept

AU - Cousins, Ian T.

AU - De Witt, Jamie C.

AU - Glüge, Juliane

AU - Goldenman, Gretta

AU - Herzke, Dorte

AU - Lohmann, Rainer

AU - Miller, Mark

AU - Ng, Carla A.

AU - Patton, Sharyle

AU - Scheringer, Martin

AU - Trier, Xenia

AU - Wang, Zhanyun

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - The essential-use concept is a tool that can guide the phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and potentially other substances of concern. This concept is a novel approach to chemicals management that determines whether using substances of concern, such as PFAS, is truly essential for a given functionality. To assess the essentiality of a particular use case, three considerations need to be addressed: (1) the function (chemical, end use and service) that the chemical provides in the use case, (2) whether the function is necessary for health and safety and critical for the functioning of society and (3) if the function is necessary, whether there are viable alternatives for the chemical for this particular use. A few illustrative examples of the three-step process are provided for use cases of PFAS. The essential-use concept takes chemicals management away from a substance-by-substance approach to a group approach. For PFAS and other substances of concern, it offers a more rapid pathway toward effective management or phase-out. Parts of the concept of essential use have already been widely applied in global treaties and international regulations and it has also been recently used by product manufacturers and retailers to phase out substances of concern from supply chains. Herein some of the common questions and misinterpretations regarding the practical application of the essential-use concept are reviewed, and answers and further clarifications are provided. This journal is

AB - The essential-use concept is a tool that can guide the phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and potentially other substances of concern. This concept is a novel approach to chemicals management that determines whether using substances of concern, such as PFAS, is truly essential for a given functionality. To assess the essentiality of a particular use case, three considerations need to be addressed: (1) the function (chemical, end use and service) that the chemical provides in the use case, (2) whether the function is necessary for health and safety and critical for the functioning of society and (3) if the function is necessary, whether there are viable alternatives for the chemical for this particular use. A few illustrative examples of the three-step process are provided for use cases of PFAS. The essential-use concept takes chemicals management away from a substance-by-substance approach to a group approach. For PFAS and other substances of concern, it offers a more rapid pathway toward effective management or phase-out. Parts of the concept of essential use have already been widely applied in global treaties and international regulations and it has also been recently used by product manufacturers and retailers to phase out substances of concern from supply chains. Herein some of the common questions and misinterpretations regarding the practical application of the essential-use concept are reviewed, and answers and further clarifications are provided. This journal is

U2 - 10.1039/d1em00180a

DO - 10.1039/d1em00180a

M3 - Review

C2 - 34190275

AN - SCOPUS:85113400218

VL - 23

SP - 1079

EP - 1087

JO - Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts

JF - Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts

SN - 2050-7887

IS - 8

ER -