PFAS – the perpetual chemicals and their effects on humans and nature

The abbreviation PFAS stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances. This group of substances comprises more than 10,000 different organic compounds. They are characterised by carbon chains of different lengths whose hydrogen atoms are either completely (perfluorinated) or only partially (polyfluorinated) replaced by fluorine atoms.

PFAS are produced exclusively artificially, but are already widespread in the environment. As the substances are water and grease repellent and also have high thermal and chemical stability, they have a wide range of uses. They are used, for example, in the manufacture of textiles, cookware, paper coatings and cosmetics. They are also used in the surface treatment of plastics and metals, in pesticides, refrigerants and fire extinguishing agents.

PFAS are persistent, which means that they often cannot be degraded at all or can only be converted to other persistent PFAS and therefore remain in the environment for a long time. They can therefore have negative effects on ecosystems, environmental organisms and humans. PFAS with short carbon chains are more water-soluble and can be distributed worldwide via the water cycle. This means that they also end up in drinking water resources. If the PFAS are volatile, they are also transported via the atmosphere to very remote areas. Long-chain PFAS accumulate primarily in organisms.

Some of the substances have now been well analysed. Negative influences on the hormone balance, the metabolism, the immune system and the liver have been demonstrated. For many other PFAS, toxicity studies are still required in order to be able to assess them.

However, PFAS are already detectable in the environment and even in the human organism, which is reason enough to reduce their use and release into the environment as far as possible.

In order to reduce the further release of PFAS into the environment, corresponding limit values have been set in the EU REACH Regulation, the EU POP Regulation and the international Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. There are also restrictions on PFAS in food and drinking water.

From January 2026, the new Drinking Water Ordinance will set a limit value of 0.10 µg/l for the sum of the 20 most common PFAS compounds. Two years later, the limit value of 0.02 µg/l will come into force for four PFAS compounds of particular concern.

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