PFAS in refrigerants: a working group is established in the USA

A new technical forum dedicated to the future of PFAS-containing refrigerants has been established in the United States. The Sustainable PFAS Action Network (SPAN), a coalition of companies and industry associations advocating for a risk-based regulatory approach, has announced the creation of the Refrigerant Working Group, a task force focused on the refrigeration and air-conditioning sectors.

The initiative has already attracted the participation of major industrial companies and trade associations, including Arkema, Daikin, AHRI (Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute), HARDI (Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International), and the Semiconductor Industry Association. The new body will bring together companies, technical experts, and stakeholders with a clear objective: to produce analyses and technical documents, encourage dialogue with policymakers, and promote a regulatory framework based on scientific evidence.

According to SPAN, an indiscriminate restriction of PFAS could have significant consequences for the availability of certain key cooling technologies. The coalition has highlighted potential impacts on strategic applications such as the food cold chain, hospitals, data centers, and semiconductor manufacturing facilities.

The group’s position is clear: future regulations should distinguish between different substances and uses, assessing the actual level of risk associated with each application, rather than introducing broad restrictions covering the entire PFAS family.

The creation of the Refrigerant Working Group comes amid an increasingly intense global debate on the management of these substances. In Europe, meanwhile, the review process for the proposed PFAS restriction is continuing through the procedure established under the REACH Regulation. Following the opinion of the Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and the public consultation phase on the draft opinion of the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC), ECHA aims to complete its scientific assessment by the end of 2026.

Once the process is completed, the final opinions will be submitted to the European Commission, which will assess, together with the Member States, whether to introduce the restriction. The final decision is expected in 2027, when the future regulatory framework for PFAS in the European market will be defined.

The industrial refrigeration, commercial refrigeration, logistics, frozen food, and cryogenics sectors will meet at REFRIGERA, the international event dedicated to the industry, which will be held at Bologna Exhibition Center from 10 to 12 November 2027.