Socio-Economic study of the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Canadian marketplace

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is responsible for managing risks posed by certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) to the Canadian environment. PFOA, LC-PFCAs and PFOS are controlled in Canada under the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 (the Regulations), with a limited number of exemptions (refer to section 2.1 for their description). These PFAS substances have been used historically and continue to be used in Canada as per the current exemptions specified under the Regulations.

The Department requires an update to the socio-economic data and information gathered through previous studies and consultations (refer to section 4, References below) on these substances as they are either present in manufactured items or used in certain allowed applications in Canada. The updated data will support the development of risk management measures by ECCC in order to meet the environmental objectives set out in the respective Risk Management Approaches and Strategy for these substances.

PFOA and LC-PFCAs are primarily used as water, oil and grease repellants; as surfactants; and as spreading and wetting agents. While PFOA and LC-PFCAs are not manufactured in Canada, they were historically imported and may continue to be imported for use in textiles, such as rugs, carpets, clothing and outdoor equipment, paper and packaging, aqueous film-forming foams used in fire-fighting applications, as well as electrical and electronic equipment.

In 2016, PFOA and LC-PFCAs were added to the Regulations, with a limited number of exemptions. The Regulations currently allow the following activities:

• The import, use, sale and offer for sale of aqueous film forming foam for fire-fighting operations that contain PFOA and/or LC-PFCAs
• The import, use, sale and offer for sale of manufactured items containing PFOA and/or LC-PFCAs
• The use or import of products containing PFOA and/or LC-PFCAs, if the product is for personal use

Internationally, the Stockholm Convention which aims at protecting human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is developing a Risk Management Evaluation (RME) document for PFOA. The substance may be added to one of the Annexes (restriction or prohibition) to the Convention as early as May 2019.

In the second draft of the RME document for PFOA released on March 15, 2017, the following uses are listed for consideration by the Stockholm Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee for specific exemptions:

1. Equipment and related infrastructure used to manufacture semiconductors;
2. Photo-lithography processes for semiconductors or in etching processes for compound semiconductors;
3. Textiles for the protection of workers from risks to their health and safety;
4. Membranes intended for use in medical textiles, filtration in water treatment, production processes and effluent treatment;
5. Aqueous film-forming foams used in firefighting application;
6. Medical devices;
7. Production of implantable medical devices;
8. Photographic coatings applied to films, papers or printing plates.