PFAS Update 2026: Continued Refinement of U.S. and Global Strategies — and Greater Focus on Adhesives and Sealants

We have come a long way, globally, since 2019, when the topic of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) was of interest largely to non-specialists and a handful of forward-looking lawmakers and regulators. Within just a few years, it was the most talked-about topic in the global specialty chemical industry, given the staggering settlements in lawsuits and the range of substances and ubiquitous range of applications where PFAS have been used, including: high-temperature-resistant polymers; lubricants; and "super-wetting" and "dirt-repellent" surfactants, dispersants, and defoamers. Whether producers or users, regulators (with authority in air, water, and land), or politicians within every level of government, everyone was talking about PFAS and trying to decide what was to be done about this issue that had so grabbed the global public's attention. Of course, concerns had been raised decades ago. While certain dangers to human health by a small number of PFAS had been known since the late 1960s, they were a more "specialist concern," if I may use so dismissive a term.

It has now been five years since the concerned parties have begun working together to address the overall issue, with emphasis on: which chemicals to classify as PFAS, which PFAS to ban outright, which PFAS to restrict, and to which levels any restrictions should be set. Because a lot of different actions with regard to the entire PFAS topic are planned for implementation during 2026, now is the perfect time to take a look at "what's on the books," so to speak, and what it will mean to producers of specialty chemicals and formulated products such as adhesives and sealants.