What is a PFAS

Due to the requirements of European regulations, PFAS in products is prohibited from February 25, 2023. All led light enterprises are requested to timely know whether PFAS is used in products. If so, please prepare replacements for switching in advance.

PFAS denotes PER /polyfluoroalkyl substances, perfluoroalkyl, and polyfluoroalkyl compounds. PFAS is a general term for a series of synthetic organic fluorides. Due to their special physical and chemical properties, PFAS is often used in the manufacture of daily necessities with the requirements of anti-fouling, waterproof, and grease prevention. PFAS has been manufactured and used in several industries worldwide since the 1940s. PFAS can be found in products such as non-stick cookware, stain removers, waterproofing agents, paints, cleaning products, food packaging, and fire foam. Because of its extremely stable chemical structure and unique chemical characteristics, PFAS is both water-resistant and oil-resistant, so it is widely used in industrial products and consumer products.

PFAS has a wide range of different physical and chemical properties. They can be gas, liquid, or solid high molecular weight polymers. They have sometimes been described as long and short chains as a way of grouping PFAS that may behave similarly in the environment. PFAS are also divided into subgroups based on their structure in various other ways. PFAS are widely used because they have unique desirable properties. For example, they are stable at high temperatures. Many of them also have surfactant properties and functions, for example, as water and oil proofing agents. Some of the major industry sectors that use PFAS include aerospace and defense, automotive, aviation, textiles, leather and apparel, construction and household products, electronics, fire protection, food processing, and medical supplies. Over the past few decades, manufacturers worldwide have replaced long-chain PFAS with short-chain PFAS or non-fluorinated PFAS. This trend is driven by the fact that the adverse effects of long-chain PFAS on human health and the environment were first assessed and recognized by scientists and authorities worldwide. Short-chain PFAS may also have similar or other properties of interest.