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PFOA issues

Regarding the PFOA concern and the fluorine products of AGC SEIMI CHEMICAL

1.What is the PFOA concern?

PFOA is an abbreviated name of perfluorooctanoic acid, which is an artificial chemical substance not existing in nature. A salt of PFOA is used as a polymerization adjuvant agent.
PFOA is an extremely stable chemical substance so that it is considered to remain in the world of nature without being decomposed. In view of environmental and safety aspects, it is concerned that PFOA is difficult to be excreted (bioaccumulative) once taken into a living body, and that PFOA shows toxicity if it is taken for a long period of time. Since 2000, various surveys and studies have been carried out in many countries; but the risk level to a human body has not been established yet so that legal regulation and guideline have not been determined.

Other than PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), PFOS (perflorosulfonic acid) and long-chain PFCAs (perfluorocarboxylic acids having more carbon atoms than PFOA) are concerned with regard to the bioaccumulation. It is considered that these compounds having 8 or more carbon atoms show high levels of bioaccumulation and toxicity.

2.Action of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and AGC Inc.

In January 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked eight companies including Asahi Glass Company (current AGC Inc.) to reduce discharge amounts of PFOA, PFOA-related substances, and their precursors and content of them in their products with the time schedule of “95% reduction by 2010 and 100% reduction by 2015 relative to 2000.”

This is called the Stewardship Program. Companies of the AGC group including AGC Seimi Chemical responded to this appeal and expressed to join this program.

3.Fluorine products of AGC Seimi Chemical

The main ingredient of existing fluorine products of AGC Seimi Chemical is not exactly PFOA; however, a very minute amount of PFOA exists as an impurity and there is a possibility of forming PFOA by decomposition.
In view of the situation mentioned above, AGC Seimi Chemical thought that, even if the amount were in the level of concern, it should be cut off; and thus, we introduced new products responding to the PFOA concern with extraordinary speed.
Our new products have the perfluoroalkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms so that they do not produce PFOA or long-chain PFCAs even by decomposition.
All the products shown in this homepage correspond to this PFOA concern.