Commercial Products

The commercial fluorotelomer-based products manufactured by FluoroCouncil members are known as short-chain polyfluoroalkyl acrylic polymers or methacrylate polymers. These polymers are used to treat fabrics to make them water and stain resistant and for numerous other applications. In general, polymers are large compounds comprised of many repeating molecular units. In the case of the (meth)acrylate polymer, the repeating unit is a (meth)acrylate containing a six-carbon fluorinated chain, and these polymers are said to be based on 6:2 fluorotelomer chemistry. Due to their large molecular size, (meth)acrylate polymers do not readily vaporize to form gases.

Methacrylate Polymer

Environmental Fate Assessment

Scientific studies indicate that fluorotelomer polymers do not easily break down under normal environmental conditions and are persistent in the environment.

  • Due to their large molecular size, (meth)acrylate polymers are considered too large to cross biological membranes. As a result, these compounds are unlikely to bioaccumulate or become concentrated inside the bodies of living organisms.
  • (Meth)acrylate polymers do not typically vaporize to form gases that may be transported long distances in the atmosphere. Additionally, these polymers do not dissolve in water and are not expected to be transported long distances in oceans or other water bodies. As a result, methacrylate polymers are unlikely to be subject to long-range environmental transport.

Human and Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

  • The (meth)acrylate polymer molecules are too large to cross biological barriers and therefore are not bioavailable to cause toxicity. As a result, these polymers do not meet international criteria for ecotoxicity or toxicity to human health.

Conclusions

International criteria define chemicals of concern as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). A POP is a substance that is resistant to environmental degradation, tends to bioaccumulate in living organisms, and has potentially significant adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Although the (meth)acrylate polymer is likely to be persistent in the environment, based on its environmental fate and toxicity (information current as of December 2016), it does not meet other criteria for a POP.

References