Perfluorerade ämnen - användningen i Sverige

Summary
Perfluorinated substances have been produced and used since the 1950s for their special
characteristics: they are thermally stable, water-repellent, dirt-repellent and grease-repellent,
to give some examples. Perfluorinated substances are a group of organic compounds
characterised by a carbon chain in which all hydrogen atoms have been replaced with fluorine
atoms.
With the development of better analysis methods for perfluorinated substances, their
dispersion in the environment and people has attracted an increasing amount of attention.
Since it became known that perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) has very serious effects on
health and the environment, PFOS related substances are being phased out. To replace PFOS,
several manufacturers have moved towards other fluorinated compounds that have the same
desirable technical properties. Unfortunately, several of the replacement compounds have
been shown to have similar negative effects on health and environment.
This report does not focus on PFOS, but on other perfluoroalkyl sulphonates (PFAS),
perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCA) and other substances which can degrade into these
compounds, e.g. fluorotelomer alcohols. The aim is to increase our knowledge of which
highly fluorinated compounds, in addition to PFOS, are found in the environment, which
compounds degrade into perfluoroalkyl sulphonates (PFAS) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic
acids (PFCA), the use of these compounds, and possible alternatives.
The most commonly used perfluorinated substances used in products are fluorotelomers. They
are used either as independent active ingredients (e.g. in fire fighting foam) or as a component
in more complex structures (e.g. in impregnating agents). The main uses of fluorotelomers are
in fire fighting foam, in water-repellent and dirt-repellent textiles and mats, in grease-repellent
paper, and in surface treatments of tiles, flooring materials etc. The uses of PFCA are fewer.
The main uses of PFOA are as process aid in the manufacture of various fluoropolymers, such
as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE 2 ).
As far as risks are concerned there are many uncertainties, including the effects, fate and
exposure of humans as well as other vertebrates and organisms in the environment. It is,
however, clear that perfluorinated substances are extremely persistent as a group can be
transported over great distances, and that some are bioaccumulative and toxic. There are
indications that levels in mammals in the Arctic are increasing. There is thus a risk of serious
long-term problems if these stable compounds have hitherto unknown hazardous properties,
especially as they are already so widely spread in the environment and, in addition, show
tendencies towards increasing levels which may rise even further if the substances are
increasingly widely used.
Information on the use of perfluorinated substances in Sweden has been obtained from the
products register at Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI). There were just less than 24 tons of
PFAS, PFCA and related substances in the products register in 2004. The entire volume
consisted essentially all of substances which could potentially degrade into PFCA, above all
fluorotelomer based substances. Figures from the register do not include imports of finished
articles which are treated with and which contain perfluorinated substances (e.g. furniture,
2 Teflon is a trade mark
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