PFAS

Our Actions and Approach to PFAS

SC Johnson has worked to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, for more than two decades. In 2001, we included PFAS chemistries in our Restricted Use Materials program beginning with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and other long-chain PFAS associated with significant health and environmental concerns. SC Johnson does not formulate products to include PFOA, PFOS or other long-chain PFAS.

Scientific understanding of PFAS has continued to develop. In general, PFAS refers to a large group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in many industrial and consumer applications. Their carbon-fluorine bonds can provide useful properties, including resistance to heat, water, oil, grease and stains.

How PFAS are defined varies. There is no single PFAS definition used by every government or scientific organization. Some definitions focus on specific, well-studied substances. Others use much broader structural criteria. As a result, estimates of the number of substances considered PFAS can vary substantially.

As the scientific understanding of PFAS has continued to develop, our approach has evolved. To define the range of substances we review, we align with the broad structural definition developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). We generally prohibit the intentional use of PFAS and consider narrow exceptions only when a substance is expected to degrade to CO₂ and hydrogen fluoride (HF), inorganic chemicals that occur naturally in the environment. That approach recognizes both the concerns associated with certain PFAS and the meaningful differences among the thousands of substances now included within the broader category.

 

Why aren’t all PFAS considered the same?

PFAS is a broad structural category. It is not one chemical or a uniform category of hazard or risk. Under some broader definitions, a substance may be classified as PFAS if its structure contains as little as one fully fluorinated methyl or methylene carbon atom. Substances captured by these definitions can differ significantly in how they are used, how people or the environment may be exposed to them, whether they break down, where they travel in the environment and what effects they may have.

A broad definition helps determine which substances should be examined, but classification alone does not establish that every substance presents the same hazards or risks. PFOA, PFOS and certain other long-chain PFAS are among the most extensively studied. They are highly persistent, can accumulate in people and wildlife, and have been associated with significant health and environmental concerns.

That does not mean shorter or structurally different PFAS should automatically be considered free of concern. Some may still be persistent or mobile in the environment, and information about many less-studied substances remains incomplete.

For that reason, SC Johnson considers both a substance’s classification and its specific characteristics when evaluating it. These include its properties, how it is used, potential exposure, environmental fate, degradation and available toxicological information.

 

What remains in some SC Johnson products and why?

A limited number of insecticide active ingredients used in certain SC Johnson pest control products meet the OECD’s broad structural definition of PFAS. These ingredients are not PFOA, PFOS or other long-chain PFAS. They should not be assumed to have the same properties or risk profile simply because they fall within the same broad structural category.

Pesticide active ingredients are evaluated by regulatory authorities for their authorized uses, including potential risks to human health and the environment. SC Johnson uses these ingredients in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and only allows them to be used within our own narrow exception standard: a substance must be expected to degrade to CO₂ and hydrogen fluoride (HF), inorganic chemicals that occur naturally in the environment. The exception is based on evidence about the specific substance and use, not on an assumption that all PFAS are without concern. If an ingredient does not meet this internal standard, the associated product will be reformulated or discontinued.

 

What about PFAS that are not intentionally added?

Intentional use is only one consideration. PFAS can sometimes be present at trace levels without being intentionally added to a product. They may enter through raw materials, manufacturing processes or other sources within a complex supply chain.

SC Johnson works with suppliers and applies quality and manufacturing controls intended to identify and reduce the potential for unintentional PFAS presence. This work will continue as testing capabilities, scientific understanding and regulatory expectations evolve.

References: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Reconciling Terminology of the Universe of PFAS ; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS ; European Chemicals Agency, PFAS Overview .