The latest development by the Stockholm Convention was in June 2022, where they listed perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and any PFHxS-related compounds, as banned substances (Annex A).
What Are PFHxS? Which Regulations Are Updated?
PFHxS is a group of chemicals found in stain-resistant fabric, fire-fighting foams, and food packaging. Until 2002, the 3M Company was a major manufacturer of PFHxS in their products. However, recent studies have been finding alarming amounts of PFHxS in public drinking water and scientists are still studying the effects on human health.
On December 9th of 2022, the Commission of the European Union issued an amendment to the POPs Regulation (2019/1021). The amendment, Regulation 2022/2400, dated 23 November 2022, updates the list of affected substances identified in Annexes IV and V.