OECD Report on Perfluoropolyethers PFPEs Life Cycle and Data Gaps

On September 12, 2024, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report entitled Synthesis report on understanding Perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) and their life cycle. OECD states that the report presents a synthesis of publicly available information on PFPEs with the aim of elucidating the identities of PFPEs on the global market and analyzing their life cycle. OECD notes that this includes their production and use, presence of other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as impurities in commercial formulations, degradation mechanisms, and environmental releases of PFPEs and other PFAS present in commercial formulations. The report suggests that researchers, government officials, and other stakeholders consider the following actions as possible priorities to address critical knowledge and data gaps:

• Develop and/or utilize additional chemical identifiers for PFPEs beyond Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers^® (CAS RN^®) and CAS names, to communicate more comprehensive information with respect to their chemical identities and structural characteristics;
• Collaborate with manufacturers to gain public access to relevant information such as production and use, presence of other PFAS impurities in commercial formulations, degradation during the use phase, and environmental releases from manufacturing sites, where applicable;
• Expand the scope of analysis of this report by including safety data sheets and patents, which were not actively searched in this report due to time and resource constraints; and
• Continuously gather new data and synthesize them for a better understanding of PFPEs on the global market and their life cycles.

According to OECD, “[i]n addition to addressing critical knowledge and data gaps, parallel action can be taken to promote stewardship programmes and regulatory action on both national and international levels, with the aim of reducing PFPE emissions and exposure.”