A new approach can help governments and businesses eliminate harmful chemicals from daily use and exposure, according to a paper published today in Environmental Science & Technology .
It’s a simple concept, but a drastic departure from the status quo of chemicals management in the U.S. and Canada. The authors lay out recommendations for implementing this approach to benefit public health, the environment, and the economy. The authors advocate for using “essential use approach” to speed up and more efficiently take harmful chemicals out of the marketplace.
“In the U.S. and Canada, most chemicals have not been evaluated prior to use,” said Carol Kwiatkowski, co-author and scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute. “Once a chemical is suspected of causing harm, it can take decades before any restrictions are enacted. By that time, the chemical is often replaced with a similar one that will also take years to regulate. The essential-use approach is a more efficient strategy to minimize risk before harm occurs.”
The essential-use approach states that chemicals of concern should only be used where the use of such chemicals in a product is “necessary for health, safety or is critical for the functioning of society” and where feasible alternatives are not available. The idea originated in the Montreal Protocol but was more recently adapted by an international group of scientists in its proposed approach for managing the whole class of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In 2020, the EU endorsed this approach in its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, calling for phasing out all PFAS and other most harmful chemicals, except for uses that are determined to be essential for society.
The approach has gained traction in some U.S. states for PFAS. In 2021 the U.S. state of Maine banned the use of PFAS in all products by 2030, except where the state determines a use is “currently unavoidable.” Other U.S. states are similarly banning the use of PFAS in specific products.
The authors recommend that that governments and businesses in the U.S. and Canada fully transition to the “essential use approach” by:
Environmental Science & Technology
Commentary/editorial
Not applicable
Optimizing chemicals management in the United States and Canada through the essential-use approach
19-Jan-2023
The authors declare no competing financial interest.