Wonder

Research Outline

Prepared for Kinga T. | Delivered May 8, 2020

Fluoropolymer - Country Ban

Goals

To identify the top distinctions between fluoropolymers and poly-fluoroalkyl (PFAS) as well as countries looking to ban all fluoropolymers. 

Early Findings

Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) can be described as the group name for both polymerized forms (fluoropolymers) and non-polymerized forms of polyfluoroalkyl — that is, all types of fluoropolymers are PFAs, but not all types of PFAS are fluoropolymers. 
Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and many other chemicals.
Based on the earlier distinction, polymerized forms of PFAS (fluoropolymers) exhibit dissimilar characteristics to non-polymerized forms of PFAS. The first major distinction is the size of molecules. Polymerized forms of PFAS (fluoropolymers) form long molecular chains resulting in very high molecular weights.  For example, the molecules in PTFE resin have between 10,000 and 180,000 carbons. In contrast, the non-polymerized PFAS have 4 to 12 carbons linked together. 
In terms of safety concerns, polymerized forms of PFAS (fluoropolymers) are believed to safe and have been approved for use in sensitive applications such as food packaging, pharmaceutics, and medical devices. On the other hand, non-polymerized PFAS have been found to be hazardous to animal life by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), causing issues such as cancers, thyroid hormone disruption, unhealthy immune system. 
In 2019, Denmark banned some forms of PFAS in the country. The ban covers the use of PFAS compounds in food contact materials of cardboard and paper, and it is to take effect from 2020.
PFOA and PFOS are no longer manufactured in the United States, however, they were not explicitly banned as they can still be imported into the country. 
In May 2019,  180 countries agreed to ban the production and use of PFOA and PFOS compounds no later than 2036, under the international treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), according to C&EN.