PFAS-coated clothes that are thrown away will often end up either incinerated or in landfill. Unless incinerated at very high temperatures (>1000oC), fluorinated polymers could release more harmful PFAS during burning. PFAS of environmental concern have also been found in landfill leachate. PFAS is found in treated waste water from industrial and domestic sources and has been found in both rivers and groundwater. Conventional drinking water processes will not remove PFAS.Small quantities of PFAS will be removed during wash and wear of products containing PFAS. This includes fluorinated polymers used on stain-resistant coatings, and non-polymers that remain on clothes after production (Lassen et al. 2015).Non-polymer PFAS can build up in blood protein of animals, and is not always removed quickly. This means that predators eating PFAS-contaminated food will have higher levels in their bloodstream, and concentrations can increase up the food chain. Studies suggest that build up of PFAS is similar to those of other Persistent Organic Pollutants such as DDT.PFAS are estimated to be settling in arctic regions at rates of tens to hundreds of kilograms per year (25-850kg per year), depending on the specific PFAS chemical in question. Certain PFAS are released as gases to the environment and are blown a long way by wind and air currents in the atmosphere,. These gas PFAS will over time degrade to more persistent chemicals like PFOS and PFOA. This may be one reason why PFAS of environmental concern have been found in remote regions such as the Arctic as well as near PFAS production sitesPFAS including PFOS and PFOA have been found in air samples around Europe. The chemicals are found in small quantities, but appear in almost all samples tested. PFAS enters the atmosphere both from factories and the air inside our homes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17554424 Non-polymer PFAS are used in the production of fluorinated polymers. The manufacture of stain-resistant finishes generally releases these PFASs into the environment, both by air and water emissions. They are very hard to remove during water treatment. Workers in textiles factories are some of the population most exposed to these potentially harmful chemicals.

Environmental charity supporting sustainability & preventing pollution

26th August 2020

Filling you in on infill… A new briefing available about microplastic from sports pitches.

With the European Chemicals Agency poised to make a decision on whether to recommend a ban on microplastics from pitches, we’ve teamed up with organisations from across northern Europe to take a detailed look at the issue of microplastics on sports pitches, and the solutions available.

We think it’s time to phase out the use of microplastics from pitches and this document provides evidence to support our position.

Read the report:

Microplastic loss from artificial (3G) pitches in context of the ECHA proposed restriction of microplastics intentionally added to products.

The new report is collated and written by Fidra with support from

KIMO International, Naturvernvorbundet (Friends of the Earth Norway), Green Transition Denmark, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Center for Sports Facilities and Technology, The Plastic Soup Foundation.

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Filling you in on infill… A new briefing available about microplastic from sports pitches.