Remediating PFAS pollution in Europe could cost €100 billion a year

Read the full article by Hugh Ryan (Chemical Science).

“A new study suggests Europe could spend more than €100 billion (£85 billion) a year remediating PFAS pollution while still capturing less than 2% of current emissions.¹ Researchers say the findings reinforce the need to prioritise reducing PFAS use and releases at source rather than trying to clean up contamination after it occurs.

PFAS are a class of anthropogenic chemicals used in industrial and consumer goods, such as fire retardants and non-stick cookware, and their persistence in the environment has been linked to cancer and thyroid dysfunction in humans. Historically, PFAS production focused on long-chain compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) but increasing regulatory restrictions have prompted industry to shift toward short-chain PFAS and other replacement fluorinated chemicals. As a result, ultra-short-chain compounds such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which is also formed from the environmental degradation of many fluorinated chemicals, are a growing concern. Their high water solubility, low sorption affinity and high mobility make them particularly difficult to remove from contaminated water.” …