PFOS-related Actions Taken by China     
By Qian Hongyuan, China National Chemical Information Center   

In February 2009, China's spokesmen explained developments in the production and management of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonates or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) in China over the past few years at the "International Symposium on PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals) Management and Transition to Safe Alternatives" jointly held by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Geneva.
    The main purposes of the symposium were to replace PFOS, PFOA and their precursors as well as higher homologues with safe alternatives, to reduce the risk in managing PFCs, and to launch a dialogue on how to conduct the transition.
   China's representative said that in 2003, after a number of foreign enterprises, including 3M of the United States, called an end to their production of PFOS, some companies in China kicked off the mass-production of PFOSF (perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride) and PFOS without fully realizing the harm they may do to the environment and the risks of PFOS exposure for humans. In recent years, both domestic and overseas demands for PFOSF/PFOS increased greatly, so the production also kept growing with half of the output being exported. At the same time, China also imported some products containing PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Although some domestic PFOS-using industries have made efforts to abide by international law and regulations, a majority of the enterprises still focus more on the economic benefits and ignore the effects of PFOS on the environment. At present, 66 PFOS-related compounds have been registered in the "List of China's Existing Compounds." Some domestic research institutions have begun to study PFOS-related hazards and organize experts to explore corresponding measures. In addition, China has introduced the EU PFOS Directive. Some export enterprises are following this directive so as to ensure export quality.
    Since 2005, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) has begun to investigate the production and management of PFOS/PFOA in China. In terms of the PFOS/PFOA management, industrial production and management measures like labels and technical standards are not available yet. In terms of environmental protection, since PPOS's influence on domestic environment is not significant now, due to its low production, the Chinese government is not centering on this problem. According to an investigation, there were 15 small-scale PFOS manufacturers and not a single PFOA manufacturer in China in 2006, and also four enterprises which import PFOA to make relevant preparations. Most of the enterprises using these substances have been identified by The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC). In fabric processing, about 90% to 95% of China's three-proof finishing agents or key materials are imported from overseas companies. Although China exports most of the three-proof fabrics, the pollution stays at home. Currently, the domestic R&D on alternative technologies which are cost-effective and eco-friendly is only in its infancy, too.
   China is still confronted with various challenges: the country lacks mature testing methods to identify the content of PFOS/PFOA in products; huge market demands stimulate the rise of many PFOS/PFOA manufacturers and enterprise-level users; management of PFOS has not yet started; the public lacks awareness of the harm of PFOS/PFOA, and there are still disputes about the danger in some related industries. For example: in electroplating, the application of PFOS can help save energy and reduce Cr6+ pollution; in fire-fighting, halon was just replaced by PFOS and it will be hard for the industry to accept a new round of replacement. Since there is currently no report showing the negative impact of PFOS/PFOA on the health and environment in China, it is difficult to convince various industrial sectors to reduce or eliminate the production and use of them.
   On the meeting, EPA also issued a report on the PFOS situation in eight companies, including Arkema, Asahi Glass, Ciba, Clariant, Daikin, DuPont, 3M/Dyneon and Solvay Solexis. Their production facilities are mainly located in China, France, Germany, the United States, etc. All these eight companies have made great progress in the management of PFOS and alternative technologies while China is lagging relatively far behind. To reduce and eliminate the use of PFOS/PFOA effectively, China hopes to gain international support through strengthening cooperation in the areas of management and alternative technologies.