Finding essentiality feasible: common questions and misinterpretations concerning the "essential-use" concept
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Review › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
---|---|
Tidsskrift | Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts |
Vol/bind | 23 |
Udgave nummer | 8 |
Sider (fra-til) | 1079-1087 |
Antal sider | 9 |
ISSN | 2050-7887 |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - 2021 |
Eksternt udgivet | Ja |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:
The authors thank the Global PFAS Science Panel (GPSP) and the Tides Foundation for supporting this cooperation (grant 1806-52683). Ian Cousins acknowledges funding from the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (FOR-MAS) (grant 2020-01978). Rainer Lohmann acknowledges funding from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grant P42ES027706); Martin Scheringer acknowledges funding from the CETOCOEN PLUS project (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000469), the project CETOCOEN EXCELLENCE (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_043/0009632) and RECETOX RI (No. LM2018121) nanced by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. We thank Apolline Roger (Cli-entEarth), Joel Tickner (University of Massachusetts), Andrew Lindström (US EPA), Lena Vierke (German Environment Agency) for valuable discussions and Georg Sojer for help with the graphical abstract. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the European Environment Agency.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Royal Society of Chemistry.
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