01 / Introduction

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been drawing growing concern and attention from the public, media and regulators for many years as their persistence and mobility in the environment have resulted in widespread diffuse contamination as well as affecting sensitive drinking water supplies across the globe. The scale and potential impacts are huge and still emerging, with some commentators describing PFAS as the new asbestos.

PFAS have been used in a huge range of industrial and consumer applications since the 1940s because of their valuable properties of oil, water and stain repellency, stability and low friction. Many PFAS are also surfactants and their use within firefighting foams, in particular, has been associated with significant environmental contamination.

Several PFAS compounds have been associated with a range of serious health conditions. There is a clear trend globally towards restricting a greater range of PFAS compounds to ever more stringent levels, which in turn is driving contamination management at source sites. Alongside this are growing liabilities and lawsuits associated with PFAS, including several high-profile class action lawsuits from exposed communities in the US, Australia and Sweden. Last year, for example, a major PFAS manufacturer announced a $10.3bn settlement to multiple US public water supply companies to test and treat PFAS.

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