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.

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News Tagged ‘flame retardants’

26 January 2021

Fidra brings an environmental perspective to UK fire safety regulations

Why does an environmental charity have an interest in the UK Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) regulations? Fidra recently featured…

Author
Kerry Dinsmore

16 October 2020

Anything EU can do we can do better? How the UK Chemical Strategy can help the environment

As Europe set out its plan for a toxic-free environment here’s what Defra can learn from and improve on in the UK chemical strategy

Author
Heather McFarlane

25 June 2020

Electronics & Exposure

How chemicals of concern have seeped into everyday life and into our environment through electronic equipment

Author
Heather McFarlane

26 August 2019

Flame retardants in our furniture; UK regulations and ten years of ‘imminent change’

After almost a decade of regulatory review, and no action, are we any closer to achieving fire safety without toxicity?

Author
Heather McFarlane