ESPE urges policymakers to protect children’s health by banning PFAS from our environment

Together with the European Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society, ESPE published a statement in response to the updated ECHA proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). ESPE and its partners welcome the expansion to include additional sectors and the continuous commitment to aim for a more general PFAS restriction instead of individual assessments. However, we remain concerned about several elements in the updated proposal that, in our view, should be addressed in ECHA’s final opinion.

Our recommendations to ECHA

1. Require the use of safe alternatives as soon as they become available, with robust controls to prevent environmental release.
2. Limit derogations and transition periods, ensuring they are time-bound and narrowly defined.
3. Reconsider the ‘continued use under risk-controlled conditions’ (RO3) model, which may underestimate long-term risks and vulnerable populations.

Why is PFAS such a threat to children’s health?

As highlighted in more detail by the ESPE statement on PFAS, children and other vulnerable groups face the greatest risk: PFAS readily cross the placenta and transfer via breastmilk, exposing infants during critical developmental windows. Because of their developing organs and immature detoxification systems, children are especially sensitive to PFAS toxicity. Paediatric endocrinologists warn that the extreme persistence of these chemicals makes them “particularly harmful for children’s health”. Early-life PFAS exposure is associated with endocrine disruption, for example, altered pubertal timing and reduced vaccine antibody responses through hormone-related receptors.