The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently released a Request for Information (RFI) to gather information from all stakeholders to better understand the potential presence and uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products. The RFI is designed to gather information and comment on a voluntary basis to inform the CPSC and the general public. Here is what the CPSC requests and how participants can contribute.

The CPSC is interested in learning more about PFAS as they relate to consumer products. In particular, the RFI seeks insights about potential use and presence of PFAS in consumer products, potential human exposures to PFAS-containing consumer products—including information about potentially highly exposed population groups—and potential adverse human health effects informed by toxicological data sources. Consequently, the RFI may serve as an opportunity for the CPSC to hear stakeholders’ information and opinions to inform future rulemaking.

Driven by information gaps, the CPSC seeks to round out its understanding of the presence and potential routine uses of PFAS in products. That said, the CPSC and its contractor,  RTI International (RTI), have already gathered preliminary research from 2022 to 2023, culminating in a white paper. Their paper provides an overview of PFAS origins, applications, and regulatory trends in both U.S. and global markets. It also aims to summarize exposure, hazard, toxicity, and risk assessments conducted by recognized authorities. However, the CPSC and RTI both recognize limitations associated with their report and call for more information and next steps to advance their and the public’s collective knowledge about PFAS as they relate to consumer products. As a result, the CPSC’s current RFI strives to fill some of the white paper’s noted information gaps.

The CPSC invites all stakeholders, including consumers, manufacturers, importers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and researchers to participate in the RFI. Responses to the CPSC’s RFI are due by November 20, 2023, and may be submitted through Docket No. CPSC–2023–0033. Background documentation and responses received may be reviewed here.