Safer Materials Advisor

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic “forever chemicals” that can be found in everything from nonstick pans, clothing, and food packaging, to furniture, electronics, and concrete. Nearly every industry has significant exposure to PFAS, yet PFAS chemicals pose serious environmental and health concerns across consumer and industrial domains due to their persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulative properties.

Ever-evolving regulations, inconsistent definitions, data availability issues, massive litigation risk, and changing consumer expectations make addressing PFAS a particularly challenging problem.

New and evolving regulations targeting PFAS seem to appear almost daily, led by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many other countries have already implemented - or are proposing to implement - PFAS restrictions. Organizations also face massive liability risk with PFAS: In the United States alone, over $13B in damages have been awarded to settle lawsuits. The European Union is also imposing hefty fines for environmental crimes.

Additionally, consumer awareness around PFAS is growing, influencing purchase decisions and increasing pressure on companies to address PFAS in their products. With an increasingly health-conscious populace, offering “PFAS-free” products is a selling point and competitive differentiator. In this evolving environment, organizations focused on safer materials must follow a multi-step process taking them from identification to substitution or material discovery.

By leveraging new AI capabilities, IBM is accelerating the ability to assess and prioritize PFAS risks and mitigation strategies, including the design of PFAS replacements and capture materials.

IBM Safer Materials Advisor

IBM's solution for PFAS identification is designed to help companies streamline the process of identifying and assessing PFAS risk in their products, processes, and supply chains. Our end-to-end solution features a user-friendly interface with AI-empowered chat capabilities and a smooth integration with prominent sustainability and supply chain platforms to help companies:

• Reduce manual data capture by identifying PFAS from uploaded product sheets and other relevant files, even when PFAS usage is not stated outright
• Match and classify disclosed chemicals with pre-ingested regulatory information from multiple regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with the correct jurisdictions
• Automate hazard assessments by highlighting PFAS compounds which fall within specific regulatory or industry specific guidelines
• Utilize sophisticated similarity analysis to identify non-disclosed or proprietary compounds
• Generate detailed and actionable reports on PFAS usage in the product portfolio and supply chain

This comprehensive approach ensures that organizations can effectively identify, assess, and mitigate the risks associated with PFAS, paving the way for safer and more sustainable material management strategies. Join IBM in our mission to create a safer, healthier future by addressing the challenges posed by PFAS and leading the way in sustainable materials innovation.