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    PFASPer- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

    Definition

    Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances — a large class of synthetic chemicals with carbon-fluorine bonds that resist degradation and are increasingly regulated.

    Editorial definition: The QHSE Standard, updated 3 October 2026 · https://qhsetech.com/glossary/pfas

    Scope: Rules differ by region and are changing; check the substances, the dates and the jurisdiction named in each requirement.

    Sources checked: . Examples are editorial illustrations.

    What EPA and ECHA say about PFAS and where regulation stands

    PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large class of synthetic chemicals, not one substance. The European Chemicals Agency calls them thousands of chemicals used throughout society that all contain carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry, so that they resist degradation in use and in the environment. It says most are easily transported over long distances and have often been found in groundwater, surface water and soil, and that cleaning up polluted sites is technically difficult and costly. The US Environmental Protection Agency describes PFAS as widely used, long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly, found in water, air, fish and soil, and says exposure to some of them may be linked to harmful health effects.

    The rules differ by region and are still moving, so dates matter. In the United States, EPA's drinking water page says the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation of 10 April 2024 set legally enforceable levels for six PFAS, with PFOA and PFOS each at 4.0 parts per trillion, and that it gives water systems until 2029 to implement reductions. It also says that on 18 May 2026 EPA announced two proposed rules for public comment: one would uphold the limits for PFOA and PFOS and let systems request two more years, to 2031, while the other would rescind the regulations for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and the hazard index mixture.

    In the European Union, ECHA's page describes a universal restriction proposal prepared by authorities in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden and submitted to ECHA on 13 January 2023. In March 2026 its risk committee adopted a final opinion and its socio-economic committee agreed a draft opinion, both supporting an EU-wide restriction with specific derogations. A consultation on the draft ran until 25 May 2026, and ECHA's page lists its outcome of 3 June 2026. A 26 March 2026 ECHA news release expected the final socio-economic opinion by the end of 2026, after which the European Commission would propose a restriction for a vote by Member States. The pages opened do not show the restriction adopted. ECHA also lists a separate measure on firefighting foams. This page is general information, not legal advice.

    Sources opened :

    What a PFAS record set looks like in software

    • A substance and product inventory that can flag entries by supplier statement, safety data sheet ingredient, CAS number or product group where a fluorinated ingredient is known or suspected.
    • Supplier statements and test reports, with the date, the scope and the answer given, including a recorded status for questions that went unanswered.
    • Use and location records: where each flagged material is stored, used, applied or disposed of, with quantities.
    • Emission, discharge and waste records for the sites that use flagged materials, with units and periods.
    • Legal and customer requirements by jurisdiction, with the status of each, such as proposed, adopted or in force, and the date checked.
    • Substitution assessments for each use, showing the alternatives considered, the testing done and the decision.
    • Actions, owners and review dates for each flagged use, linked to the evidence that closed it.

    PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, and a regulated list

    PFOA and PFOS are two well-known members of the class, and EPA's drinking water limits name six PFAS, not the whole group. A rule that names specific substances, a restriction that covers the class with derogations and a customer list of banned substances can each draw a different boundary. A product can therefore be outside one list and inside another, and an inventory has to record which list a conclusion refers to.

    A hypothetical example: a first PFAS inventory pass

    This case is invented to illustrate the record and describes no real company. A metal finishing company has 340 products on its chemical inventory. A review of safety data sheets and supplier names flags 12 of them, about 3.5 per cent, as possibly containing a fluorinated ingredient, and the team sends each supplier a written question.

    Nine suppliers reply by the due date: four confirm a fluorinated ingredient and five confirm none, while three do not reply. The record keeps the three as unresolved, not as clear, and an owner chases them. The four confirmed materials go into a substitution review, and the team records for each the use, the quantity and the discharge route. A note says the data sheets alone were not enough, because a data sheet may not name a substance that is not classified as hazardous.

    Common misunderstandings about PFAS

    • PFAS is not one chemical. ECHA and EPA both describe thousands of substances, which is why rules name groups or lists.
    • A US drinking water limit is not an EU restriction. They are different instruments with different aims, regulators and status, and both have changed or are still changing.
    • A proposal is not an adopted rule. EPA's May 2026 announcements are proposed rules, and the pages opened do not show the EU universal restriction as adopted.
    • A safety data sheet is not a complete PFAS declaration. It may not name an ingredient that is not classified as hazardous, so supplier statements are a second source.
    • Compliance with one list is not compliance with all. Check the substances, the dates and the jurisdiction named in each requirement.

    How PFAS relates to other glossary terms

    PFAS touches chemical records, controls and environmental management.

    • SDS: the supplier data sheet that is a starting point for ingredient information but may not settle the question.
    • Hierarchy of controls: the order of controls in which substituting a hazardous substance comes before measures that rely on people.
    • EMS: the system that holds environmental obligations, monitoring and improvement objectives.
    • LCA: a product assessment method that can show whether a substitute moves impact to another category.

    Records and evidence that usually exist for PFAS

    • The chemical inventory with flags and the review method used.
    • Supplier statements, test results and the follow-up on non-replies.
    • Substitution assessments and decisions.
    • Environmental monitoring data for relevant sites.
    • The legal register entry for each applicable requirement, with the status and date checked.
    • Management review minutes showing decisions on priority uses.

    What a software tool needs to capture for PFAS

    • Substance-level fields, such as CAS numbers and supplier declarations, not just product names.
    • A status for each supplier question, including no reply.
    • A link from each flagged material to its location, use, quantity and discharge route.
    • A register of requirements with status values such as proposed or adopted, and the date checked.
    • Substitution records that keep the alternatives tested and the reason for the choice.
    • Version history, so an earlier conclusion can be reviewed after a rule changes.

    Catalog profiles documenting chemical management

    The list comes from the SDS and chemical inventory rule used by the chemical management software guide. It does not show that a product tracks PFAS at substance level or follows any particular restriction, which should be tested with your own inventory.

    Same rule for every product: tagged “Chemical Management”, with a sourced SDS or chemical inventory capability in its record, or one the vendor stated to us, labelled as vendor-stated. Documented and conditional capabilities qualify; check the linked scope before treating a module as included.

    Tekmon pays for a sponsored placement (above); its place in this list follows the same rule as every entry. How lists are ordered

    All 11 matching profiles are shown. Documentation review, not hands-on testing or a claim of compliance.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Are PFAS banned?

    There is no single ban. The pages opened show US drinking water limits for named PFAS with proposed changes, an EU universal restriction still in evaluation and a separate firefighting foam measure, so check the rule that applies to your product and region.

    Which PFAS does EPA regulate in drinking water?

    EPA's final 2024 rule covers six: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA with individual limits, and PFBS within a hazard index for mixtures. In May 2026 EPA proposed to keep the PFOA and PFOS limits and to rescind the rest.

    What should I record first?

    Start with a substance-level inventory that flags known or suspected uses, supplier statements with a status for non-replies, and the location and quantity of each flagged material.

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