NASF Discusses PFAS and Hexavalent Chromium Reduction in the Automotive Supply Chain
NASF joins EPA, State of Michigan, and automotive OEMs to discuss voluntary approach to reduce the use of PFAS and hexavalent chromium for plating in the automotive supply chain.
NASF recently participated in a discussion hosted by USEPA and the State of Michigan to discuss the transitioning of hexavalent chromium and PFAS for plating in the automotive supply chain. The meeting included introductory remarks from EPA Region 5 Administrator, Debra Shore, and the Director of Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), Abby Hendershott.
USEPA highlighted the agencies’ commitment to the issue and NASF’s significant contributions on the sustainability front and working proactively with EPA and Michigan to minimize uses of PFAS and hexavalent chromium. The meeting highlighted the ongoing collaborative discussion among the surface finishing industry, automotive OEMs, and regulators on efforts to voluntary reduce PFAS and hexavalent chromium in the supply chain. These efforts include the use of non-PFAS fume suppressants, mechanical controls to reduce hexavalent chromium emissions, and the switch to trivalent chromium processes where appropriate.
In addition, EPA and Michigan officials provided a historical and future outlook for the use of PFAS in the finishing industry. NASF highlighted a summary of the drivers and challenges ahead for PFAS and hexavalent chromium reduction within the automotive supply chain. A panel of experts from surface finishing chemical suppliers provided a technical update on the status of trivalent chromium processes to re place hexavalent chromium for automotive applications. Representatives from automotive OEMs supported the efforts and, along with NASF, acknowledged the challenges and barriers that must be overcome.
NASF and the automotive OEM community will continue current discussions and explore next steps to address future progress. If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding this process, please contact Christian Richter of Jeff Hannapel with NASF at crichter@thepolicygroup.com or jhannapel@thepolicygroup.com.
This update is courtesy of the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF). For more information or to become a member, visit nasf.org.
Related Content
-
Hubbard-Hall Acquires BioConversion Technology
The acquisition adds experience and biologics to the AquaPure product line.
-
NASF/AESF Foundation Research Project #120: Electrochemical Destruction of Perfluorooctanesulfonate in Electroplating Wastewaters - April 2022-March 2023
This NASF-AESF Foundation research project report covers project work from April 2022 to March 2023 at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The overall objective of this work is to utilize a cost-effective reactive electrochemical membrane (REM) for the removal of PFAS from synthetic electroplating wastewater. Initial results for the oxidation of PFOA with three different catalysts are discussed.
-
NASF/AESF Foundation Research Project #122: Electrochemical Approaches to Treatment of PFAS in Plating Wastewater - 9th Quarterly Report
The NASF-AESF Foundation Research Board selected a project addressing the problem of PFAS and related chemicals in plating wastewater streams. This report covers the ninth quarter of work (January-March 2023). In this report, we describe our work on evaluating the performance of PFAS degradation by electrooxidation using surface fluorinated Ti4O7 anodes in batch mode.
