Over 150 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, people working in the healthcare sector, and experts on PFAS, have sent a letter to leading European Commission officials, urging them to phase out per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including in the healthcare sector.
The letter, addressed to Commission President von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Stéphane Séjourné, and Commissioner Jessika Roswall, warns that PFAS exposure is putting public health at risk and calls for a complete PFAS phase-out.
PFAS, also known as the forever chemicals, are a group of over 10,000 chemicals widely used across consumer and industrial uses, including in certain medical devices and equipment such as catheters, personal protective equipment and inhalers. PFAS pollution hotspots are now widespread in Europe and biomonitoring studies have found PFAS in blood samples from people across Europe.
Letter signatories cite well-documented health impacts linked to the most studied PFAS, such as kidney and testicular cancer, increased cholesterol, and immunotoxicity, and outline that these are a reason for the comprehensive regulation of PFAS.
The medical professionals emphasise their concerns that PFAS exposure may be contributing to such diseases in their patients, arguing that “the only effective way to protect EU citizens from PFAS exposure is to stop all PFAS use”.
Innovation of PFAS alternatives is underway
In addition, the letter highlights that viable alternatives are already available or being developed in certain medical applications. The professionals detail examples of PFAS free practices such as intravenous anaesthesia instead of anaesthetic gases, and dry powder inhalers as opposed to propellant-based metered dose inhalers that contain F-gases. In fact, they state that the group PFAS restriction (commonly referred to as the universal PFAS restriction), currently being considered by the EU, is needed to help drive further innovation toward safer alternatives in the sector.
Support for bold action on PFAS across Europe
The letter’s 154 signatories span more than 12 countries and include medical professionals from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Greece, Iceland, France, Finland, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Sweden and the UK.
Dr. Gavin ten Tusscher, paediatrician at De Kinderpoli NH in the Netherlands, who signed the letter, said “Using medical devices containing PFAS to treat patients is shortsighted, as we are creating more patients in the future due to the toxicity effects. Furthermore, the next generations will pay the cost for this with their health”.
A timely call to action
The letter was sent on 3rd June, ahead of European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) discussions on the use of PFAS in medical devices. These discussions began on 4th June in ECHA’s RAC committee and are taking place in its SEAC committee today, 11th June, as part of ECHA’s sector-by-sector evaluation of the universal PFAS restriction, which proposes to restrict over 10,000 PFAS under the main EU chemicals legislation, REACH.
Healthcare should not be an excuse
While the healthcare sector is often cited as a reason to weaken the restriction due to a lack of alternatives available for certain medical applications, the signatories push back against this argument and “firmly reject the use of healthcare as a justification for inaction on the PFAS pollution crisis and the continued use of harmful forever chemicals”, stating that “the healthcare sector should not be used as an excuse for the continued PFAS use”.
They note that the proposed restriction includes transition periods of up to 13.5 years for alternatives to be found where they do not already exist. Given the restriction will not come into effect until the end of this decade, the sector could have up to 20 years to phase out PFAS, which, according to the medical professionals is “ample time to ensure patient safety and the continuity of care while even more alternatives are being developed, tested and approved”.
The letter urges the European Commission to show leadership by backing a strong PFAS restriction and ensuring that the EU is at the forefront of the transition to a PFAS-free economy.
This letter has been covered by various media outlets, including Chemical Watch, Politico, and Euractiv.
Read more about the universal PFAS restriction here.
