Read the full article by Zach Armstrong (Snow Brains).
“Walk into any ski shop worth its salt, and you will be hit with that distinctive waxy ski shop smell. Built up from the waxing of thousands of pairs of skis over decades, that smell has recently been linked to significant long-term health effects for ski technicians. Ski waxes are made from a mixture of organic compounds with long alkyl chains, some of which are heavily fluorinated. Polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been receiving a great deal of scrutiny recently as more and more research links widespread environmental exposure to significant negative health outcomes. High-performance ski waxes can be made from up to 100% PFAS, creating a significant risk for ski technicians.
Hot waxing presents several opportunities for acute exposure to PFAS from ski wax, as was highlighted in a recent literature review from Middlebury College. Heating the wax to above its melting point releases volatile organic compounds, or compounds with relatively low boiling points. Mechanical scraping of the wax can also release aerosols and particulate matter, capable of further inhalation hazard. These risks have been known since at least 1992, and more recent studies have confirmed high levels of PFAS exposure in ski tuning work areas. The recent review highlighted that a host of studies have found that ski technicians have higher blood concentration of PFAS than any other occupation, including firefighters, known for their high levels of exposure from the use of PFAS containing fire suppressing foams.”…