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September 2, companies from Sweden and the rest of the Nordic region gathered for a knowledge-sharing event on replacing PFAS. The conference, organised by the Swedish Chemicals Agency on behalf of the Swedish government, is the largest environmental event during Sweden's presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Companies aiming for their products to be free from the 'forever chemicals' PFAS have long faced challenges in identifying which substances to avoid. To assist producers and purchasers, the Swedish Chemicals Agency has published information about nearly 11,000 PFAS substances in a searchable database.
Annually, 75000 tonnes of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) end up in the environment in Europe. Textiles, fluorinated gases and medical devices account for a large part of the emissions. In the restriction proposal that was published on February 7, the Swedish Chemicals Agency and authorities in four other European countries propose that all manufacture and sale of PFAS will be prohibited. If PFAS are not limited, the annual emissions will instead increase.
Better protection for health and the environment and a level playing field for companies on the Swedish market. This is what the Swedish Chemicals Agency wants to achieve with a strengthened and expanded market surveillance in Sweden.
The Swedish Chemicals Agency and the Swedish Intellectual Property Office are to use AI and patent information in an innovation project to identify dangerous chemicals early in the development phase of future articles and products. The pilot project is being funded by Vinnova and aims to ensure that articles and products are non-toxic from the very start.