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The State of Sustainability Research for Chemicals of Concern identifies the impacts of chemicals of concern within and for the manufacturing of ICT products on human health and the environment and illustrates the need to shift to safer, more sustainable substances in electronics. The research identifies strategies to reduce chemicals of concern through understanding the chemical used within products and processes, determining the health impacts of chemicals, preventing the use of known toxic chemicals, and identifying safer alternatives. Finally, this

Chemicals provide a variety of specific functions in electric and electronic products or in their manufacturing process. However, some of these chemicals are hazardous and can cause concern related to their potential for adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Such impacts can occur throughout the product’s life cycle, including raw material extraction, processing and manufacturing, but also during product use or at end-of-life. However, decisions influencing product ingredients are usually taken at upstream stages of the value chain

PFAS are non-aromatic, organic chemicals in which the hydrogen atoms in the carbon chain are fully replaced (“per”) or partly but almost entirely replaced (“poly”) by fluorine atoms. At least 4,700 substances belong to this group of substances. All these chemicals have in common that their environmental degradability is fairly slow and very limited and therefore remain resistant for years to decades.PFAS are “forever chemicals.” Even when being incinerated for disposal, very high temperatures are required for these compounds to