Have your say: draft evaluation statement on PFAS introduction and use in Australia

We are seeking feedback on our draft evaluation on the use and importation or manufacture (introduction) of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australia.

About this evaluation

• This evaluation covers the 522 PFAS on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (Inventory).
• It identifies which PFAS were introduced in Australia for an industrial use between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2025. It provides information on the volume that was introduced, and what the PFAS were used for.
• It is based on information that businesses reported to AICIS about their use and introduction of PFAS during the 2-year period.
• This is not a risk assessment, but the outcomes will be used to prioritise which PFAS should be the subject of future risk assessments.

Open for public comment until 2 December 2026

Download:

Draft report on PFAS introduction and use in Australia [PDF 1.17 MB]

Why we did this evaluation

PFAS are a large group of synthetic chemicals used in many applications across industry and products available to consumers. There are global concerns about the impact of PFAS on people’s health and our environment.

There are currently 522 PFAS listed on our Inventory that could be introduced by businesses registered with AICIS. However, there was limited information about which of these PFAS are imported or manufactured in Australia, and what they were used for.

Therefore, we conducted this evaluation to gather recent data from businesses on their introduction and use of listed PFAS in Australia. We will use the data to help decide which PFAS to target for future evaluations that will assess their risks to human health and/or the environment.

How we did it

We sent a notice to AICIS-registered businesses requiring them to tell us whether they had introduced any of the 522 listed PFAS between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2025. If they did, they also needed to provide information on:

• the volume of PFAS introduced
• what the PFAS were used for.

We analysed the information provided by businesses to create a snapshot of which PFAS are in use in Australia. The draft evaluation statement describes what we found.

We did not require businesses to give us information about PFAS present in finished articles such as clothing and cookware, or if the PFAS was only present as an impurity. This is because these introductions are excluded from our categorisation requirements.

A summary of what we found

Most PFAS on the Inventory were not introduced in Australia. Of those introduced, none were manufactured here.

Our analysis found that 139 of the 522 PFAS on the Inventory were imported into Australia in the reporting period. However, 48 were introduced only for use in research and development. 

Businesses reported using 91 different PFAS across a wide range of industrial and consumer applications. The 3 most frequently reported end-use categories were:

• lubricant and grease products
• paint and coating products
• adhesive and sealant products.

What we propose to do next

After analysing the data on PFAS introductions, we propose to:

• Begin an evaluation of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) which will consider the risks to human health and the environment. This is because TFA is a common breakdown product of many other PFAS, including some introduced in high volumes.
• Add or amend specific information requirements for certain PFAS on the Inventory, requiring businesses to notify us before introducing one of these PFAS for a purpose other than research and development.
• Use the information reported to us by businesses alongside other evidence to prioritise further PFAS evaluation work.

After the consultation closes, we will consider any feedback we receive before finalising the evaluation.

Have your say by 2 December 2026

Read the draft evaluation for full details before you provide feedback using the form below.