5 Hidden Sources of PFAS Risk

Does your company face legal, financial or safety risks due to PFAS in products, supply chains or waste streams? Companies are exposed to many sources of PFAS risk—even if they are not deliberately using PFAS in products or processes. Understanding these hidden PFAS sources will empower companies to make better decisions to protect workers, consumers, the environment and the bottom line.

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What Is PFAS Risk?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals widely used in consumer products (such as non-stick cookware, food packaging and water-repellant fabrics) and industrial goods (such as firefighting foams, gaskets, seals and molds). Not all PFAS are created equally and some are more harmful than others to both humans and the environment.

In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the environmental and health impacts of PFAS. Exposure to certain PFAS has been linked to health effects including immune system effects, hormone disruption, liver and kidney damage, and cancer. As a result, manufacturers and suppliers are under increasing pressure to remove PFAS from products and waste streams to reduce risk.

How does PFAS enter the environment? Through multiple pathways.

Types of PFAS Risk

Companies face many different types of PFAS risk. The main categories of PFAS risk include:

• Regulatory: Evolving regulations, varying rules and emerging bans around PFAS create challenges for compliance and leave companies exposed to fines, penalties and product obsolescence.
• Stakeholder: Consumer preferences, community concerns and investor demands put pressure on companies to remove PFAS from products and clean up environments contaminated with PFAS.
• Litigation: PFAS-related litigation is on the rise. Companies may face lawsuits related to health impacts from PFAS in their products, environmental damage from waste or accidental releases, or occupational exposures for workers.
• Financial: Customer loss (due to preference for PFAS-free products), litigation judgments, environmental remediation costs, and PFAS replacement expenses can lead to significant financial losses.
• Supply Chain: As PFAS products are banned in certain areas or suppliers voluntarily exit the market, companies relying on PFAS in the products and processes face material obsolescence and supply chain disruptions. It can be difficult to find safe and effective substitutes for PFAS chemicals.
  
  

5 Hidden Sources of PFAS Risk

One of the biggest challenges that companies face is that many sources of PFAS are not inherently obvious or outside their control. Even companies that do not (deliberately) use PFAS in their products can face PFAS risk due to unintentional contamination, lack of transparency from suppliers, or latent liabilities. As a result, many organizations do not have a full understanding of their PFAS risks and liabilities.

For the whole picture on PFAS risk, download our "Understanding, Managing and Mitigating PFAS Risk" white paper.

#1: Opaque Supply Chains

Many companies rely on suppliers to provide raw materials, chemicals and components. However, PFAS can be part of proprietary formulations that suppliers are not legally required to fully disclose. Even on Safety Data Sheets (SDS), the exact type or concentration of PFAS might not be listed due to trade secrets or simply because it is less than the required weight or volume of hazardous substance to be reported on the SDS.

For example, cosmetic brands may buy pre-formulated ingredients like pigments, stabilizers or emulsifiers from chemical suppliers, who might not disclose the use of PFAS in their proprietary formulations. This lack of transparency can make it difficult for companies to ensure their products are PFAS-free, despite labeling and testing efforts. This can complicate compliance with environmental and consumer safety regulations.

#2: Packaging and Third-Party Components

PFAS may not be directly used in the manufacturing process but can still enter the product supply chain through packaging or components sourced from third-party vendors. This can be a hidden source of PFAS contamination.

PFAS contamination in food products, for example, may arise from packaging (such as grease-resistant coatings) that leaches chemicals into the food. Food contamination may also arise from components of the production machinery, such as gaskets and seals. This can create unintended health risks when people are exposed to PFAS in prepared food products.

#3: Process Water Contamination

Many manufacturing processes use water, either as part of the production line or for cooling and cleaning. If the water supply is contaminated with PFAS, it can introduce these chemicals into the process, even if PFAS are not used directly in manufacturing.

Unfortunately, most municipal water treatment centers do not have the technology to remove PFAS chemicals from wastewater. That means when people drink water from these plants, or the water is used in industrial processes, it is often already contaminated with unknown types and quantities of PFAS—creating a potential public health hazard.

PFAS can enter the water supply through industrial discharges, the use of firefighting foams at airports and military bases, and runoff from landfills and agricultural lands. That means companies can face PFAS risk from sources they did not create and do not have control over.

#4: Latent Liability and Litigation risks

Companies may face legal and financial liabilities for historical PFAS usage, environmental contamination, or accidental releases, even if the chemicals are no longer in use. Tracing the source of PFAS contamination can be difficult, especially in areas with multiple industrial activities.

Companies may face litigation or regulatory penalties requiring costly cleanup or settlement payments, even if the company ceased PFAS use long ago—or never used PFAS at all. This can be especially problematic for companies operating in areas where there is historical soil or groundwater contamination from neighboring businesses or prior occupants. Proving exactly where PFAS contamination originates, and who is responsible, may require complex forensic analysis.

#5: Limited Testing Options

Testing for PFAS is complex because different matrices (e.g., water, soil, air, biological samples, manufactured goods) require specific testing techniques. Additionally, the sheer number of PFAS variants complicates testing—only a few PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, are well-studied.

So far, approved EPA methods for PFAS testing (such as EPA Methods 537.1, 533 and 8327) only target a handful of the thousands of PFAS chemicals, and only in drinking, ground or surface water.

Many testing labs specialize in water analysis, but fewer have expertise in testing PFAS in industrial or consumer products, leading to gaps in risk assessment. This makes it extremely challenging for manufacturers of consumer products and durable goods to find labs that can help them characterize and quantify PFAS chemicals in their products, packaging or waste streams.

Finding the Sources of PFAS Risk

The first step to reducing PFAS risk is to understand it. Battelle is working with companies to identify and quantify PFAS sources, including sources hiding in their supply chains, environments, and material inputs. That starts with a vulnerability assessment to identify and mitigate potential risks and exposures related to product formulations, processes, supply chains and the regulatory environment. We also work with clients to identify material replacement alternatives for PFAS chemicals in products and processes.

Battelle has been at the forefront of PFAS assessment, remediation and risk reduction for more than two decades. From our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities to innovative technologies like PFAS Annihilator^® and PFAS Signature^®, we are leading the way in PFAS risk reduction.

Interested in learning about a framework for understanding, managing and mitigating PFAS risk? Download our “Addressing PFAS Challenges” white paper today.

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