European court rejects Chemours’s arguments on classifying a fluorochemical

By Cheryl Hogue | c&en | February 27, 2022

Read the full article by Cheryl Hogue (c&en)

"A chemical related to Chemours’s GenX fluorosurfactant was appropriately categorized as a candidate for strict regulation in the European Union, a court ruled Feb. 23.

Chemical structure of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA).
The European Court of Justice rejected Chemours’s argument that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) erred in its 2019 decision on how to classify the molecule under the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) law.

The chemical at issue is hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), the fluoroether that forms when GenX hydrolyzes in the environment. Both are in the class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). GenX is used to make fluoropolymers such as nonstick coatings. Animal tests show that HFPO-DA can harm the liver, kidneys, blood, and immune system..."