Dear subscriber,

In this EFCTC May 2026 newsletter, we report on the outcome of the two ECHA committees that have assessed the Universal PFAS restriction proposal, their conclusions for F-gases and the next steps. The Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) evaluated whether PFAS pose a significant risk to humans and the environment, assess the scientific evidence (toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, exposure) and determining if an EU-wide restriction is justified based on these risks. The Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) looks at the economic and societal impacts of the restriction by evaluating costs for industry (e.g., reformulation, substitution, compliance), assessing benefits (e.g., reduced healthcare costs, environmental protection), comparing different restriction options and transition periods and impacts on jobs, innovation, and supply chains.

The RAC final opinion as it relates to F-gases includes that based on the information on the expected emissions RAC concludes that the existing operational conditions and risk management measures are not sufficient to control the risks. The SEAC draft opinion as it relates to F-gases comments that a REACH restriction remains the most appropriate risk management measure to address the concerns identified by the Dossier Submitter which are different from the F-gas Regulation (focused on global warming potential). In certain application-specific cases a restriction can be considered inappropriate for practical considerations, i.e. a prohibition under the F-gas Regulation indirectly already addresses (partially or fully) the risks identified by the Dossier Submitter.

We provide a detailed overview of the latest developments in the revised water policy directives and the drinking water directive as they relate to Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The European Union has adopted a major update to its water policy framework, agreed on 30 March 2026 by the Council and Parliament of the draft EU directive proposing amendments to three key water policy directives: the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), the Groundwater Protection Directive (2006/118/EC), and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive for Surface Waters (2008/105/EC). The Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 includes TFA in ‘PFAS Total’. The Environmental Quality Standards Directive for Surface Waters (2008/105/EC) includes TFA in the PFAS group but also defines Relative Potency Factor (RPFs) compared to PFOA. The RPF for Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is RPF 0.002.

Finally, we report and discuss a recent preprint paper reporting an experimental study of atmospheric gas-phase TFA generated from sea spray aerosol (SSA). The preprint presents novel evidence that SSA also serves as a source of atmospheric gas phase PFAS (including TFA), suggesting that their transport from the oceans to the atmosphere is much larger than currently assumed. According to the authors, the observed high TFA concentrations at a remote marine location indicate a marine source of gas phase TFA and a possible underestimation of their gas-phase budget, especially in remote marine regions. In our explanatory notes we discuss relevant papers and reports that provide context for the experimental results in the preprint.

Do you want to learn more about EFCTC and fluorocarbons? More information is on the fluorocarbons.org website.

Thank you for your continued interest in EFCTC.

PFAS Restriction: the RAC final and SEAC draft opinions and next steps

In 2023, five European countries—Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—submitted a joint proposal to restrict PFAS across the European Union under the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). This marked a major shift from targeting individual substances to addressing the entire PFAS group.

The proposal was formally submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which is responsible for evaluating chemical risks and drafting regulatory decisions in the EU. It covers thousands of PFAS substances, aiming to restrict or ban their manufacture, use, and placement on the market.

The two ECHA committees have assessed the Universal PFAS restriction proposal from the five national authorities. The Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) evaluated whether PFAS pose a significant risk to humans and the environment, assess the scientific evidence (toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, exposure) and determining if an EU-wide restriction is justified based on these risks.

The Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) looks at the economic and societal impacts of the restriction by evaluating costs for industry (e.g., reformulation, substitution, compliance), assessing benefits (e.g., reduced healthcare costs, environmental protection), comparing different restriction options and transition periods and impacts on jobs, innovation, and supply chains.

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Revised water policy directives and  trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)

This news item summarises the revised water policy directives and the drinking water directive as they relate to Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 includes TFA in ‘PFAS Total’. The Environmental Quality Standards Directive for Surface Waters (2008/105/EC) includes TFA in the PFAS group but also defines Relative Potency Factor (RPFs) compared to PFOA. The RPF for Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is RPF 0.002.

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Experimental study of atmospheric gas-phase TFA from sea spray aerosol

A preprint [1] ‘Newfound source of atmospheric gas-phase PFAS from sea spray aerosol’ has reported experimental studies on the transfer of TFA and other PFCAs (Perfluorinated carboxylic acids) from sea spray aerosol (SSA) particles to the gaseous phase. The preprint presents novel evidence that SSA also serves as a source of atmospheric gas phase PFAS, suggesting that their transport from the oceans to the atmosphere is much larger than currently assumed. The field observations and laboratory studies reveal that the amount of gaseous PFAS released may exceed particle-phase concentrations and depends primarily on the low pH of SSA particles, a result of the concentration of ocean water components in SSA particles upon formation and drying. According to the pre-print ‘to date, this mechanism has not been considered in estimates of oceanic PFAS emissions, indicating an underestimation of this source for PFAS deposition also in remote locations.’

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