PFAS: invaluable materials turned into a global threat
Heat resistant, water repellent, and chemically stable, PFAS were once seen as the answer to many industrial challenges. But as science has advanced, the threat they pose to people and the environment is under growing public scrutiny and can no longer be ignored. It’s time to transition away from PFAS.
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made substances that do not naturally occur in the environment. While they share structural similarity, the categorisation encompasses a wide array of chemicals that have broad uses across multiple industries as surfactants in aqueous solutions, as additives in plastics, or as (fluoro)polymers.
PFAS have a set of qualities that were historically hard to replicate – particularly in combination. This includes:
- Heat resistance – PFAS are stable under relatively high temperatures, making them a common choice of material for equipment that needs to operate in high-heat environments. And it made them ideal for use in fire-fighting foams.
- Water and oil repellence – using PFAS in food packaging and textiles created moisture and grease resistant surfaces.
- Chemical stability – PFAS were perfect for industrial settings as they don’t corrode or wear away when exposed to other chemical solutions. And they last a long time, so were a very attractive choice for long-term applications.
These use cases meant PFAS could address real performance gaps in a wide range of industrial settings including electronics, medical devices, firefighting, transport, manufacturing, refrigeration, food packaging, household goods, and more. And as a result, they became embedded almost everywhere.
But there’s another side to the coin.
The problem with PFAS
The same property that made PFAS so useful – their resistance to degradation – also makes them persistent. They hardly break down in soil, water, plants, or animals. So, once they enter the environment, they’re very difficult to remove. And this has earnt them their alternative name: ‘forever chemicals’.When small PFAS enter the environment, they spread incredibly easily – through gas emissions and, predominantly, water. Groundwater, rivers, oceans, human-made water systems, and even rain and sea spray enable PFAS to travel across continents. They’ve even been detected in the deepest ocean trenches and on the highest mountain ranges.
These forever chemicals are also bioaccumulative, meaning they build up in our bodies faster that we can eliminate them. Data regarding the health risks is only available for a few substances, but show they have critical effects on the liver, increase risk of cardiovascular diseases, and reduced birth weight.
PFAS have also been under scrutiny regarding cancer and both male and female fertility. And the reduced immune response to vaccination observed in children has been used to establish a tolerable intake of PFAS through food.
As research into the health and environmental risks of PFAS exposure is still evolving, while PFAS concentration in the environment is increasing, reducing the overall release of PFAS to our environment is a necessary preventive action.
The science is becoming clearer, & regulations are catching up
Regrettably, PFAS are very challenging to remove from the environment. It requires advanced treatment processes that are still emerging technologies. Current cleanup solutions are costly, energy intensive, and not yet scalable enough to address global contamination. Without regulatory action, PFAS pollution could cost the EU approximately €440 billion by 2050.As a first step to address the issue, governments around the world are focussing on limiting the amount of PFAS entering the environment.
The EU is leading in this global effort. A restriction of the use of PFAS in fire-fighting foams is already in place and F-gases regulations are puting quotas and limitations on PFAS in refrigerants. National bans on some PFAS-containing consumer products have also been set in France and Denmark.
An overarching PFAS use restriction in the EU is now being defined under EU’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation. The details will continue to be refined until it’s voted on which is expected to be after 2027.
Many PFAS uses will be banned quickly – within 1.5 years after acceptance – but there will be derogations for some uses, with transition periods of five and 12 years. For these long‑term derogations, companies will need to create site‑specific PFAS management plans.
At the EU level, PFAS emissions and contaminated sites are already under the scrutiny of local authorities. The systematic PFAS monitoring required by the Drinking Water Directive, and the obligations of additional costly treatment, is leading to increased pressure on local governments to protect the water resources from industrial emissions.
How is your industry impacted?
Reducing PFAS can be a huge challenge. They’ve grown in prevalence in every sector, meaning the problem isn’t contained to just one of your materials or processes. New restrictions could impact the availability or cost of much of your supply.To stay ahead of the problem, you need to investigate each facet of your operations. And you need to map, manage, and replace them effectively – and safely. Here are some of the most prominent areas to focus on:
Get expert guidance to help you through the transition
At Haskoning, we’re dedicated to supporting safe and effective transitions away from PFAS.
We have a multi-disciplinary team of experts with specialisms ranging from the wide-ranging effects of chemicals, their properties, and potential replacements to deep and specific experience working with the facilities and systems that need to be replaced.
So, if you want help removing PFAS from your operations – or just want to better understand what tightening regulations might mean for your organisation – get in touch with our team. We’re happy to help.
We have a multi-disciplinary team of experts with specialisms ranging from the wide-ranging effects of chemicals, their properties, and potential replacements to deep and specific experience working with the facilities and systems that need to be replaced.
So, if you want help removing PFAS from your operations – or just want to better understand what tightening regulations might mean for your organisation – get in touch with our team. We’re happy to help.
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