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THE US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to restrict the use of four “Chemicals of concern” and encourage users to find alternative substances.

Under the action plan, publicised on New Year’s Eve, the EPA wants to reduce the use of phthalates, short-chain chlorinated paraffins, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorinated chemicals such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is used in the production of Teflon.

Environmental groups welcomed the news though chemical industry representatives were concerned that EPA seemed to target chemicals with a high media profile over other less obvious but potentially more dangerous substances.

Cal Dooley, president of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), says: “EPA should prioritize chemicals […] based on scientific criteria that reflect available hazard, use and exposure information provided to the agency.” He says that the EPA’s assessment process has not been transparent, leaving industry to guess at the scientific basis on which the chemicals were selected.

“The chemical industry supports modernizing the way chemicals are managed in commerce, but the process to date provides no evidence of a systematic, science-based approach to chemicals management.  It is vital that this be addressed.”

EPA administrator Lisa Jackson says she is seeking a comprehensive reform of “outdated” chemical management laws in the US to ensure that the safety of all chemicals currently on the market are fully assessed and to systematically reduce the risks where chemicals do not meet the safety standard – a pledge much in line with the European REACH regulations on chemical safety.

Phthalates are mainly used as plasticisers in PVC. They are suspected of affecting gender development and the male reproductive system.

Short-chained  chlorinated paraffins are found in additives such as flame retardants, as well as in metal working fluids and sealants and coatings. They are persistant, bio-accumulative, and toxic to aquatic life.

PBDEs are mainly used as flame retardants in a broad range of products, but have also been found to be persistent organic pollutants that may affect the human nervous system. One PBDE, decaBDE, is already subject to a voluntary phaseout in the US by the end of 2013. Any new uses of PBDEs in the US has to be reviewed by the EPA prior to product launch. 

As well as creating non-stick coatings for cookware, perfluorinated chemicals are used in a broad range of items including waterproof clothes and stain-resistant carpets.

Long-chain perfluorinated chemicals are found around the world and are bioaccumulative and persistent. While toxic to laboratory animals, there is no evidence to date that they’ve significantly harmed humans. However, given their persistence, EPA says it wants to take action before they have accumulated to such levels in humans where they would be harmful.

In a separate move, the agency also announced plans to force chemical companies, refiners and power utilities to make sufficient financial provisions to pay for the eventual clean-up of their industrial sites.

At present, the remediation of many former industrial sites in the US is funded via the Superfund scheme, paid-for by the US taxpayer.