International. Green Seal announces that it will ban any perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in paints and coatings, floor care products, adhesives and degreasers certified by Green Seal, to address these harmful "permanent chemicals."
Due to their strict criteria, certified paints and coatings qualify for points for both the LEED credit for low-emission materials and the LEED v4.1 material ingredient optimization credit, making their certification standard one of the few selected to achieve this recognition.
Green Seal standards have long banned long-chain PFAS formally classified as hazardous. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that short-chain PFAS have the same harmful health and environmental effects as the legacy PFAS they are replacing.
Green Seal will update its standards for paints and coatings, floor care products, adhesives and degreasers to ban the approximately 12,000 chemicals in this class.
PFAS are frequently used as functional ingredients in these product categories. A recent study found that half of the paint products tested contain PFAS, which can be used to give shine, reduce peeling, or for stain resistance or water repellency.
Most acrylic and wax floor finishes on the market contain PFAS as leveling agents and wettings, and PFAS are also used to increase the wettability of adhesives or to reduce the flammability of cleaning and degreasing agents.
The proposed updates to its standards for these product categories follow the nonprofit's ban on all PFAS in certified cleaning and personal care products last year.
Green Seal is taking a phased approach to implementing PFAS bans to ensure its standards effectively address manufacturing and use considerations that vary by product category, including routes of exposure, functional performance, and regrettable substitutes.
"Both producers and buyers know the dangers of PFAS, but lack reliable ways to ensure products are free of these toxic chemicals," said Doug Gatlin, executive director of Green Seal.
"Its standard criteria will eliminate PFAS throughout the product formulation supply chain while maintaining performance requirements, so buyers can choose safer, healthier and more effective products with confidence."
In addition to its certification programs, Green Seal has partnered with materials health provider HPDC to become an approved preparer and third-party verifier of health product claims (HPD).
Regardless of whether a product is certified or not, Green Seal can prepare an HPD report to increase ingredient transparency while maintaining critical trade secrets and ensuring the product counts toward LEED v4.1 material ingredient credit.
