Abstract

Chemours’s GenX chemical, a polymer-processing aid, would become a candidate for strict regulation in the European Union under a proposal from the Dutch government. GenX is used to produce nonstick coatings and other products. It is an ammonium salt that hydrolyzes into hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), which is persistent in the environment and mobile in water. The Dutch proposal says HFPO-DA “adversely impacts human health” at intake levels that could be as low as 21 ng/kg of body weight per day. Animal tests with the chemical have shown harm to the liver, kidneys, blood, and immune system. In contrast, the US Environmental Protection Agency in November proposed a safe daily level for ingestion of 80 ng/kg per day for GenX and HFPO-DA combined. After a public comment period on the Dutch proposal, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will determine whether GenX, HFPO-DA, and related compounds meet criteria for “substances

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