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On June 4, 2025, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) introduced a policy paper to support PFAS risk management by the interim approach to the PMT or vPvM concept.
PMT: persistent, mobile and toxic
vPvM: very persistent and very mobile
PBT: persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic
vPvB: very persistent and very bioaccumulative
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known for their high persistence, which poses serious risks to both human health and ecosystems. In addition, PFAS also possess high mobility, allowing them to contaminate water sources far from their original release points. PFAS with both properties, combined with potential toxicity, increase the risk to environmental quality and public health through environmental exposure routes.
Although the PBT and vPvB categories have been established in UK REACH, some PFAS do not meet the regulatory criteria as bioaccumulative or toxic, yet they are still persistent and detected widely in the environment, even in remote areas far from their sources. Therefore, the development and use of a new approach to PMT or vPvM to capture this concern more clearly is needed.
The PMT or vPvM concept enhances regulatory clarity and provides a pathway to manage the risks posed by PFAS and potentially other substances. It now serves as a prioritization tool to identify substances for further assessment, aiding in preventing widespread and potentially irreversible contamination.
For PFAS, this new concept can be used in the preparation of a UK REACH restriction dossier to assess whether they represent a risk that is not adequately controlled to human health, the environment, or both. It guides appropriate action in PFAS risk management under UK REACH, such as threshold or non-threshold approach to risk management, based on the regulatory need and context of the risk assessment being undertaken.
Currently, definitive criteria for PMT or vPvM concept have not been formally adopted in UK REACH or other legislation. However, international discussions are ongoing, and data are evolving. The UK will continue to participate in UN GHS discussions on proposed new hazard issues, including PMT, which the EU has incorporated into its CLP as new hazard classes. If criteria are established within UN GHS, the UK will need to consider their implementation in GB CLP.
