Last month, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker amended the state’s PFAS Reduction Act to phase out the intentional use of PFAS in a variety of consumer products by 2032. The updated Act targets items such as children’s products, sleepwear, and personal hygiene items.
Under the amendment, “intentionally added PFAS” are defined as PFAS desired in a final product or that serve a specific function in a final product. This does not include PFAS that appear as the result of contaminated water use during the production process, provided the manufacturer did not contribute to the contamination. In addition, the amendment specifically calls attention to fluoropolymers, a class of PFAS not referenced in earlier versions of the Act, which have generated much discourse regarding their solubility and potential to bioaccumulate.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is tasked with implementing the Act as well as completing several assessments by August 2027. These include evaluating the funding and research capabilities necessary to carry out the program, identifying critical uses of fluoropolymers in supply chains, reviewing state and federal actions on fluoropolymers, and examining the potential threat of fluoropolymers to human and environmental health.
