PFAS phase-out is challenge but also opportunity, says ChemSec

The speciality gases industry has been warned about the urgent need to engage with the work that will go into phasing out the use of PFAS chemicals in the years ahead.

The warning was issued by Theresa Kjell, Head of Chemicals Policy for the Sweden-founded non-profit environmental organisation ChemSec. She was addressing delegates at the Speciality Gas Summit 2025 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It is a group of more than 10,000 manufactured chemicals that have been used since the 1940s for their water-, grease-, and stain-resistant properties. PFAS are often called ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down naturally in the environment or the human body and accumulate over time, leading to widespread contamination of water, soil, and food.

“The challenge to phase out PFAS is urgent because these are persistent chemicals that are mobile and get everywhere. Today there are in our environment and even in our blood,” said Kjell. “Knowledge about them was low two years ago but now more is known and industry is engaged, while governments understand the scope of the challenge and are busy framing legislation.”

The dedicated business group of ChemSec works with the likes of Ikea, Apple, Boots, Lego, Skanska, Dell, Veolia and others today, and delegates were reminded that PFAS chemicals are widely used in the industrial gases industry as well as in sectors that the industry serves, such as semiconductor production.

“It is complex, however. Understanding the precise impact of PFAS on products and processes is a challenge,” said Kjell.

“Phase-out is happening already, and many sectors have viable alternatives that are already in the marketplace. In sectors such as food packaging and cosmetics, and in products like ski wax, there are now real choices available. But there is still much work to do.”

That’s because only about 20% of the use cases for PFAS today have a workable alternative, and that’s recognised in the legislation that is now being worked on. In the case of semiconductors, for example, where PFAS chemicals deliver some important functionality, it is likely that manufacturers will be given more than 13 years to phase out PFAS materials to find and adopt alternatives.

When it comes to legislation, the EU and more than 30 US states are well-advanced with the work that’s needed, and have active and incoming legislation, but much more is due to come down the line. The EU is in many respects expected to show the way in framing something workable and starting to drive the change that is needed, said Kjell.

Today the use of PFAS chemicals is enormous. In 2020, for which figures are available, 840,000 tonnes were used in the EU alone, with 75,000 tonnes of emissions also being created. By 2050 worldwide it is estimated that PFAS emissions could reach 4.4 million tonnes without legislation being enacted.

A landscape of alternatives for PFAS chemicals is now taking shape, with easy wins and available solutions in some quarters and bigger challenges in other spaces. 

“But one way to frame this is an opportunity,” said Kjell. “For those companies that can innovate and find the solutions that will replace PFAS chemicals there are huge markets that await.”

In semiconductors, for example, the size and value of the industry, and the widespread of use of PFAS chemicals, creates a huge potential market for successful innovators. The same is true of opportunities related to the energy transition, noted Kjell, with PFAS chemicals being used for solar panels, fuel cells, electrolysers, lithium-ion batteries and more today.

“There are incredible opportunities out there, and for any that manage to create new products we will stand in support at ChemSec and promote their tech to enable the best decisions to be made – and quickly.”

Kjell said that today the incumbent PFAS producers are engaged with governments and industry and were good at lobbying to get their needs met. 

“The alternative producers need a voice, too, and we try to ensure they get that. There are consultations under way already and more will come through, and we will play our part to support innovators and to help every industry to understand its obligations and options.”