PFOA - possible sourcesand regulatory needs

Dr Christoph Schulte Chemicals Branch

PFOA WorkshopEU-Commission 04.05.2010

PFOA – some facts

PFOA – some facts

• No biological degradation• High persistence in the environment• Persistent in organisms, esp. men• Wide distributed in the environment• Polar molecule, good water-solubility, low

lipophilicity• Environmental target compartment is water• Tendency to bioaccumulate, but no potential to

accumulate as defined in REACH Annex XIII (bioaccumulation due to high lipophilicity)

Concerns about PFOA

Findings in surface water

Skutlarek et al. (2006) – modified

Findings in surface water

Findings in surface water

Source PFOS [ng/l] PFOA [ng/l]

Northern Atlantic 0.01 – 0.05 0.04 – 0.1

Tokyo bay, Japan 13 – 25 15 – 192

Resolute bay, Arctic 49 – 90 12 – 16

Po, Italy 2 – 12 2 – 337

Steinbecke, Germany 3,160 –5,900

16,800 –33,900

Lake Moehne, Germany 17 654

Ground- and drinking Water

Source PFOA [ng/l]

Neval Air Station, Nevada, USA 6,570,000

Decatur, Alabama, USA 3,400,000

Little Hocking, Ohio, USA 1,500 – 7,200

Emmerting, Bavaria, Germany 166

Arnsberg, North RhineWestfalia, Germany

500 - 640

Water works, North RhineWestfalia, Germany

<2 – 56

Findings in biota

Findings in biota

Organism PFOS* [ng/kg] PFOA* [ng/kg]

Polar bearCanadian Arctic (1990)

454 – 1,474 0.04 – 14

Polar bearCanadian Arctic (2006)

2,108 – 3,868 12 – 18

Seal Canadian Arctic (2005)

8.0 – 44 12 – 16

Eel, European rivers ≤ 498 ≤ 23

*in liver samples

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 20

USA 2000a

USA 2000b

Kanada 2002

Deutschland 2001

Australien 2002

Schweden 97-00

Deutschland 2004

Japan 2002

Belgien 98+02

Polen 2003

Italien 2001

Indien 2000PFOAPFOS

USA 2000

Belgien 2000

USA 2000

USA 2005Contaminateddrinking water

Employees in fluorochemical

industry

PFOS and PFOA in blood samples

Hölzer & Wilhelm (2007)

PFOA in blood samples

Source PFOA [ng/l]

Neval Air Station, Nevada, USA 6,570,000

Decatur, Alabama, USA 3,400,000

Little Hocking, Ohio, USA 1,500 – 7,200

Emmerting 166

Arnsberg 500 - 640

Water works, North RhineWestfalia, Germany

<2 – 56

Toxicological profile

Concerns about PFOA

1. Environmental persistence2. Findings and distribution in surface water3. Findings and accumulation in food web and top

predators4. Long-range transport and findings in remote areas5. PFOA in blood samples of the general population

(& long elimination half live)6. PFOA in food and in drinking water7. Toxicological profile (Reprotoxic Cat. 2)8. Disposal practices

Sources of PFOA

Industrial STP effluent

Municipal STP effluents

STP effluents

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C4S

C6S

C8S C7

C8

C9

C10

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C14

PFO

SA

62 F

TS

Location STP

ng/L

Amsterdam, NLStockholm, SELancaster, UKCadiz, ESAlingsås, SENijverdal, NL

De Voogt et al. (2006)

Perfluorcarboxylic Acids

Municipal STPs – rivers - sea

File: db 2004 .dsf

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

9876543

EN TE 3

D TEN T

N SG R 2 N SB 2

BR IFF

EID E R

M E D EM

AM R U 2

LT IEFSY LT 1SY LT 2

G a 419 M ai 2004

S tade

P F H xAP F H xSP F H pAP F O AP F O SP F N oAP F D eAP F O S A

P F H xAP F H xSP F H pAP F O AP F O SP F N oAP F D eAP F O S A0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

ng/L

Theobald und Caliebe (2006)

Sludge disposal in agriculture

Direct Sources

• PFOA-Production• Production of Fluoropolymers• residues from production and processing of

fluorinated polymers• production of other PFCs• Downstream users

(e.g. Textile Industry,Galvanik, Paper Industry)

Indirect Sources

• Residues in products• Transformation of

volatile precursors• Degradation of

fluorinated Polymers• Sludge disposal

in agriculture

File: db2 004 .dsf

3 4 5 6 7 8 95

5

5

5

9876543

53

54

55

56EN TE 3

D TE N T

N S G R 2 N S B 2

BR IFF

EID E R

M E D EM

AM R U 2

LT IEFSY LT 1SY LT 2

G a 419 M ai 2004

S tade

P FH xAP FH xSP FH pAP FO AP FO SP FN oAP FD eAP FO S A

P FH xAP FH xSP FH pAP FO AP FO SP FN oAP FD eAP FO S A0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

ng/L

Regulatory needs

PFOS

PFOA

• 2005: US-EPA Stewardship program: Reduceemissions of PFOA and precursors to 95% of thelevel of 2000 till 2010, phase out till 2015

• 2007: OECD Hazard Assessment prepared byUS-EPA and UBA, supported by DuPont; result: candidate for further work

• 2009: Risk Assessment (Chemical Safety Report) according to REACH-TGD prepared by consortiaof Miteni and DuPont, submitted by German Ministry of Environment to EU-Commission

• 2010: RPS-Study for EU-Commission

Suggested way forward

• Defining appropriate Environmental QualityStandards for soil and water includingdrinking water

• Nominating PFOA as Substance of VeryHigh Concern according to REACH Articles57c) and f)

• Submit a Risk Management Analysis• Prepare a REACH-Restriction Dossier for

PFOA considering residues in products and relevant precursors, including a SocioEconomic Analysis

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 351982

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2007

Year of sample

ng/ml

PFOS

PFOA

PFHxS

Arithm

eticM

eanvalues

PFO

S and P

FOA

in bloodsam

ples

Thank youQuestions:

Dr. Christoph SchulteFederal Environment Agency -Umweltbundesamt

Chemicals BranchWörlitzer Platz 1

D - 06844 DessauPhone: +49 (0)340 2103-3162

Christoph.schulte@uba.deUBA Background paper

“Do without Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemicalsand Prevent their Discharge into the Environment“:

http://www.umweltdaten.de/publikationen/fpdf-l/3818.pdf