The following explains which PFAS are completely limited by Oeko-Tex, which are indirectly limited, and when all fabric categories, including sofas, will be completely free of Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) treatments if Oeko-Tex 100 certified.
PFAS is an very large group of chemicals. It is therefore impossible to test for all of them individually. Those that are specifically limited in the Oeko-Tex 100 standard are the ones which are currently regulated by the EU regulations.
To try to cover all PFAS, they have introduced an extractable organic fluorine (EOF) limit value. PFAS contain a lot of fluorine, therefore by having a fluorine limit value they test for the presence of PFAS indirectly.
However, other molecules used in textiles, for example some colourants, also contain fluorine. Those chemicals are not necessarily harmful and their goal at Oeko-Tex is not to forbid the use of those. Which is why the limit value for extractable organic fluorine (EOF) is higher than the one for the listed PFAS, which they test for individually.
The limit value that they have for the individual substances is the limit of quantification, which means that if PFAS are present in the product in lower concentrations, they are unable to test for them due to method limitations. Nevertheless, those limit values largely forbid the intentional use of PFAS, as PFAS have absolutely no effect at such low concentrations and would therefore not be applied
Currently, in 2023, their EOF limit value applies only to product class I (articles for babies). They have a transition period that lasts until January 2024 for all other product classes (which includes sofas).
As of today, all the specific PFAS that are legally regulated in the EU are already covered and will not be found in stain guard coatings in an Oeko-Tex 100 certified sofa.
The EOF limit value, which essentially limits any intentionally added PFAS, will come into effect for sofas in January 2024. So as of January 2024, Oeko-Tex 100 fabrics will be free of PFAS.
Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
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