Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are popping up in the news daily, making it hard to keep track of both state and federal bans. The content below aims to help keep manufacturers updated on the latest bans, proposed rules, PFA-identifying technologies, PFA-destroying technologies, and emerging technologies to help with compliance and consumer safety.

State-Related Regulations

California, Maine, and Minnesota are leading the way with some of the strictest measures to limit the use of fluorochemicals, but other states such as New York and Illinois are following suit.

California 

The California State Senate approved a bill (SB-682) in June that would ban the intentional use of PFAS in numerous consumer products starting in 2027. The proposed legislation targets items such as cookware, food packaging, cleaning products, dental floss, children's products, and ski wax.

On June 2, the California State Assembly approved a bill (AB-1181) aimed at removing PFAS, fluoropolymers, flame retardants, and similar harmful substances from firefighting protective gear. The measure also directs the state’s Division of Occupational Health and Safety to provide a progress report on updated PPE safety standards by July 1, 2026, if the bill becomes law.

Maine

Maine’s PFAS in Products Law (Title 38, §1614) was enacted in 2021 and amended in 2024. It establishes a timeline for phasing out the following products containing intentionally added PFAS:

  • January 1, 2026: Ban on the sale of products such as cleaning agents, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile items, menstrual products, certain textiles (excluding outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions and textiles in vehicles), ski wax, and upholstered furniture.
  • January 1, 2029: Ban on the sale of artificial turf and outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions, unless labeled with a clear disclosure stating, “Made with PFAS chemicals.”
  • January 1, 2032: Ban on the sale of all other products with intentionally added PFAS, unless designated as having a "currently unavoidable use" (CUU) by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The law mandates that manufacturers submit CUU designation requests at least 18 months before the applicable sales prohibition takes effect. If approved, CUU exemptions are valid for five years and may be renewed. Products granted CUU status are subject to specific reporting requirements.
  • January 1, 2040: Ban on the sale of HVAC and refrigeration equipment, refrigerants, foams, and aerosol propellants, with certain exemptions for products deemed acceptable under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

Maine’s Firefighting Foam Restrictions (Title 38, §424-C) is in effect as of January 1, 2022. It prohibits the discharge of firefighting foams containing intentionally added PFAS for training or testing purposes, unless the foam is entirely collected for proper disposal. Manufacturers must provide written notification and recall procedures for foams sold or distributed in Maine before the ban.

The sale and distribution of such foams are also banned, with exceptions for:

  • Use at airports, if required by federal regulations.
  • Marine defense applications mandated by the U.S. Department of Defense.


Maine Exemptions and Definitions

The law provides exemptions for certain products and applications These exemptions acknowledge the current lack of viable alternatives for PFAS in certain critical applications. Exemptions include:

  • Used products and their components.
  • Medical devices, drugs, and veterinary products regulated by the FDA.
  • Products used for public health, environmental, or water quality testing.
  • Motor vehicles, watercraft, and aerospace equipment.
  • Semiconductors and related manufacturing equipment.

Minnesota

The state is implementing new regulations under Amara’s Law to phase out products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The new rules are the second phase of Amara’s Law and aim to ban these products by 2032. The law’s initial phase went into effect in January 2025, and it prohibits the sale or distribution of products in 11 categories that contain these substances.

The 11 categories include the following and the packaging used to ship them:

  • Carpets or rugs
  • Cleaning products
  • Cookware
  • Cosmetics
  • Dental floss
  • Fabric treatments
  • Juvenile products
  • Menstruation products
  • Textile furnishings
  • Ski wax
  • Upholstered furniture

 

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has released proposed rules detailing the reporting requirements and associated fees for manufacturers.

Minnesota Key Points:

  • Reporting Requirements: Manufacturers and supply chain entities involved in making, importing, distributing, or selling products with intentionally added PFAS must report to the MPCA by January 1, 2026. Reports should include product descriptions, the purpose of PFAS in the product, quantities of each PFAS compound, and manufacturer contact information.
  • Fees and Penalties: An initial reporting fee of $1,000 per manufacturer is proposed. Annual updates are required starting February 1, 2027. Non-compliance may result in penalties up to $25,000.
  • Exemptions and Extensions: Manufacturers can request waivers if PFAS usage information is publicly available or has been reported to other agencies. A 90-day extension is also available upon request, provided there is documentation of logistical challenges and a plan to meet requirements.
  • Industry Concerns: Trade groups and manufacturers have expressed the need for more time to comply, citing complex supply chains and the challenges of identifying PFAS usage across various components.

Illinois

In April 2025, the Illinois House approved a bill (HB3409) to ban the intentional use of PFAS in cosmetics made, sold, or distributed within the state. The proposal includes an exemption for trace amounts of PFAS that are “technically unavoidable”, provided manufacturers have made efforts to comply.

On May 22, 2025, the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation (HB2516) to ban the intentional use of PFAS in a range of consumer goods, including cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, children’s items, menstrual products, intimate apparel, and food packaging. The ban is set to begin in 2026.

Also on May 22, 2025, the Illinois legislature approved a bill (HB2409) requiring manufacturers to disclose any known use of PFAS in firefighting gear starting in 2026, including the purpose of its inclusion. The bill also sets a ban on the use of PFAS in such protective equipment beginning in 2027.

Rhode Island

On June 10, 2025, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed a law (H.B.5019) banning the intentional use of PFAS in firefighting protective gear starting in 2027. This new measure updates the state’s 2024 Consumer PFAS Ban Act, which already restricted PFAS in various consumer products.

New York

The state has tried and failed to pass numerous bills in 2025 regarding the use of PFAS in women’s menstrual products (A.1502; S.1548), consumer products (S.187), playground surface materials (S.3852), class B firefighting foam (A.01053A), and in product packaging (S.1464). All proposed bills failed to pass in the state assembly before the end of the legislature’s formal session. 

New PFA-Identifying Tools and Resources

IBM developed an AI-powered tool, called Safety Materials Advisor, to screen for PFAs. This tool identifies PFAs within IBM’s operations and suggests alternative, non-PFA-containing chemicals. While the tool cannot guarantee a product is PFA-free, its use is proving helpful across semiconductor to quantum computing applications.

IBM also collaborated with Cornell University, Digital Science, Numat, and the University of Pittsburgh to launch “PFACTS”—a resource for businesses seeking to replace, redesign, or remediate PFAs in their products and processes. In March, IBM launched pfasID, an open-sourced (web-based) PFA screening tool hosted by ChemForward. The tool helps researchers, companies, and policymakers better identify PFAs.

PFAS Destruction Technologies for Manufacturers

Much of the work to destroy PFAs has been outsourced to companies such as Revive Environmental, which has developed the first commercially available PFAS destruction technology by using supercritical water oxidation, or SCWO. Developed in conjunction with Battelle Memorial Institute, the “PFAS Annihilator achieves 99.99% destruction across all PFAS types in varying liquid waste streams with no harmful byproducts generated, providing assurance that PFAS will never reemerge into the environment.”

This technology has been implemented at facilities in Michigan and Ohio, demonstrating its capability to reduce PFAS to non-detectable levels in contaminated water and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). The process involves heating and pressurizing water to create conditions that break the strong carbon-fluorine bonds characteristic of PFAS, resulting in harmless by-products like carbon dioxide and fluoride salts.

In addition to SCWO, Battelle is exploring other advanced PFAS destruction methods. These include hydrothermal alkaline treatment (HALT), which employs sodium hydroxide under heat and pressure, and ultraviolet oxidation, which uses UV light to break down PFAS compounds. Each of these technologies offers unique advantages and are being evaluated for scalability and efficiency in various settings.

Shalene Thomas, senior emerging contaminants program manager at Battelle, explained that methods like electrochemical treatment, high-energy electron beams, photolysis, plasma destruction, sonochemical oxidation, and thermal desorption are still emerging technologies. In contrast, incineration and supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) are proven field-tested and commercially available techniques, with SCWO currently regarded as the most advanced and widely used for PFAS destruction.

Emerging PFAS Destruction Technologies

Additional exciting news is the emergence of several PFAS destruction techniques at varying stages of development. Manufacturers are exploring these technologies to effectively eliminate PFAS, with several new methods introduced in 2024.

Gradiant, an MIT spinout, developed a system called ForeverGone that uses micro-foam fractionation to separate and concentrate PFAS from water, followed by electro-oxidation to permanently destroy the contaminants onsite.

Bioforcetech offers a different approach through its patented sigma pyrolysis unit, which heats organic waste to around 650°C without oxygen, breaking down PFAS while producing usable gas and fixing carbon.

VVater, another company in the space, uses electroporation—a method that applies electrical fields to break PFAS chemical bonds. This technique is designed to be scalable and avoids generating harmful secondary waste.

Adoption Struggles

Although various PFAS destruction technologies are available, many manufacturers remain cautious about adopting them. Companies that are taking action tend to operate in highly regulated industries or face significant public scrutiny. Others are holding off, either due to uncertainty about the scale of the problem, or they are waiting for regulatory requirements.

When adoption occurs, it's often through performance-based contracts, where manufacturers pay for results rather than investing in the technology upfront. PFA tech leaders emphasize that the most effective solution is avoiding PFAS use altogether, noting that eliminating the chemical(s) removes the need for destruction.

To support this shift, organizations are collaborating with manufacturers to identify PFAS alternatives. Manufacturers also shouldn’t rule out importance of consumer awareness, because public demand can drive industry change.