Why Electronics Manufacturers Should Be Concerned About PFAS

What Are PFAS & Why Are They In All Our Products?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been around since the 1940s. At the time, a large problem facing multiple industries was product longevity and resiliency. Scientists were searching for ways to combat degradation due to water, oils, and heat that products were being exposed to in innovative ways. In their efforts they turned to the strongest bond known in organic chemistry, the carbon-fluorine bond. 

Several structures with this bond were created, leading to successful development of multiple perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. This enabled manufacturers to incorporate heat and water resistance into products and utilize them for thin membranes with anti-scratch properties. These changes emerged on the market as waterproof fabrics, non-stick cookware, new firefighting foams and oil resistant food containers. But the use of PFAS didn’t stop there.

Not Just Pots & Pans: The Electronics Industry Embraces PFAS

While their properties were primarily featured in household items like clothing and pans, other industries were also busy adopting the benefits of PFAS. Notably, the electronics industry began using PFAS to help combat detrimental issues plaguing manufacturers. Plastics made with PFAS were more resilient: they resisted fading and cracking; they held up longer against heat exposure; they reduced friction and increased the lifecycle in lubricants and release agents; they reduced the number of times gaskets and tubes needed replacing; and they made electrical wiring jackets less prone to the heat produced by electrical currents running through them. 

Their suitability for high-temperature and high-voltage applications also made them particularly appealing. PFAS coatings shielded sensitive equipment, like printed circuit boards (PCBs) and audio equipment, from moisture and dust accumulation. Furthermore, PFAS played a significant role in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, thanks to their various physiochemical properties, including photo resistance, anti-reflectiveness, low surface tension, and chemical inertness. 

To the public and manufacturer’s delight, products treated with PFAS lasted longer and appeared to be safer than ever before.

The Growing Health Implications of PFAS Exposure

However, as the uses of PFAS expanded and the number of products they were in increased, environmental monitoring also saw a rise in new pollutants. Scientists started seeing PFAS in water and soil samples. Due to their heat and water resistance design, PFAS did not degrade in the environment like other substances; instead, they started to accumulate. Scientists saw PFAS increasing in wildlife, and it soon became apparent that health studies would be needed to assess the widespread persistence and bioaccumulative nature of these substances. 

Emerging animal and human health studies began drawing links between PFAS exposure and serious health problems. PFAS were linked to various forms of cancer, liver and kidney damage, obesity and diabetes, as well as immune system dysfunctions. They were also linked to growth and development dysfunctions as well as reproductive issues. While exposure to low levels of PFAS were less detrimental, the cumulative nature of the substances quickly led to higher exposure levels–far past numbers that were safe. In 1999, a study in the United States found four different PFAS in the blood of 99% of people who were tested. 

PFAS: From Four Substances to 14,000+ Substances In 80 Years

Despite the push to find PFAS alternatives, a troubling pattern was emerging. A PFAS substance would be created, placed into circulation, and then only removed (or replaced) once it became a known environmental and health hazard. 

While this pattern isn't exclusive to PFAS—indeed, it's standard for monitoring all substances—PFAS stand out due to the seemingly limitless variety of structures they can assume, stemming from their carbon-fluorine bonds. It’s the reason why we’ve gone from four PFAS in the 1940s to over 14,000 today.

This rapid growth of PFAS substances explains the recent push for more PFAS rules and regulations across several industries, but it also explains why it’s harder than ever to identify PFAS usage in products. 

PFAS Rules & Regulations: Where, By Whom, About What

As a result of their ubiquitous nature, as well as the growing governmental and public discourse around their effects, PFAS rules and proposals are popping up almost daily all across the globe. 

Every continent has issued some sort of PFAS statement, whether it be proposals or enactments, and every single industry is now facing some sort of PFAS restriction. For years, the European Union has implemented bans or restrictions on several PFAS compounds through various legislative measures, including the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations. Canada's environmental protection agency regulates some PFAS substances, while Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have also issued rules for PFAS. Additionally, several states in the United States have enacted regulations on PFAS in different products, but it's the federal reporting rule that has garnered significant attention from numerous industries.

The Environmental Protection Agency Tackles PFAS

Importantly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enacted a rule under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(a)(7). It requires any entity that manufactured or imported PFAS or PFAS containing articles between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2022 to electronically report that information to the EPA by May 8, 2025 and retain those records for five years following that deadline. This rule applies to any kind of product, across all industries. 

Many companies have emphasized the difficulty of knowing where PFAS may be used in products and others have simply claimed ignorance of PFAS. However, the rule requires evidence of investigation. The EPA has issued statements strongly encouraging everyone to conduct investigations and record that evidence, even if the evidence finds no PFAS and therefore relieves you of your reporting obligations. That evidence can be used to defend your decision against fines and possible prosecution. 

So, where is PFAS used in electronics now?

Where Are PFAS in Your Electronics?

A survey of Z2Data’s component database identified almost 40,000 parts that are known to have PFAS in them. Grouping these parts by product type showed that 281 electronic commodities are impacted by PFAS. Of these commodities, over 14,000 capacitors contained PFAS (about 36% of the total parts). Connectors and cables followed with thousands of parts each. Oscillators and RF products also had 1,000+ of parts with PFAS in them. While these are only the top 5 categories, over 270 other categories are also impacted.

Unfortunately for manufacturers, these numbers are only a starting point to understand their full usage of PFAS. Z2Data’s database only analyzes off-the-shelf parts in its PFAS evaluation, meaning the number of parts in circulation with PFAS in them, including custom parts or those with no supplier data, is much, much higher. 

To understand the full scope of PFAS in your supply chain, it will be critical to survey your suppliers for more information. 

PFAS Reporting: Reporting Requirements

PFAS is deeply integrated into a majority of industries in today’s market and it’s important to recognize they do impact you and your product. While some rules and regulations are still being implemented, some reporting requirements are active right now. The reporting duty set out by the EPA may have obligations with U.S. based companies, but it also has major implications for foreign companies with U.S. customers too. The U.S. customers will be surveying their supply chains for PFAS information this year and taking note of suppliers that do not supply that information and those that use PFAS in their products. While this rule may be a one-time requirement, the regulation of PFAS substances will only continue to grow. To learn more about how to comply with this evolving landscape, including sourcing, data management and a compliance expert to help you understand obligations, sign up for a free trial or demo of the Z2Data platform.

Identifying PFAS In Your Electronics: Is It Possible?

Z2Data’s end-to-end software solution empowers companies to effectively manage the design, supply chain, and sustainability of their products. Built upon the most comprehensive component database in the industry, Z2Data's solution gives teams the critical data they need to stay–and remain–compliant with existing regulations like REACH and RoHS as well as new regulations related to PFAS. With Z2Data, teams can easily see which parts are compliant, which aren't, and which ones need attention first–saving teams time and effort in their compliance processes.

Want to see how Z2Data can help you find and manage PFAS in your supply chain? Schedule a demo with our product experts to learn more.