PFAS, often referred to as “eternity chemicals”, are found in a variety of everyday products such as outdoor clothing, Teflon-coated pans and cosmetic products. Their water- and grease-repellent properties also make them valuable for use in wind turbines and solar modules.
However, the chemicals become dangerous if they are released into the environment during production or disposal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some PFAS have been classified as carcinogenic or potentially carcinogenic. There are also concerns that certain variants could damage the immune system. Particular risk areas are often old industrial areas and former fire sites where PFAS-containing extinguishing foam was used.
A survey conducted by NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) in cooperation with the German edition of the MIT Technology Review (MIT TR), which covered 400 districts and independent cities in Germany, revealed that there are 155 officially registered PFAS sites in North Rhine-Westphalia. This survey is part of the international “Forever Lobbying Project”, which includes editorial offices from 16 countries.
Costs of up to 2 trillion euros
Scientists have calculated that the cost of removing PFAS from the environment could be significant. Without effective restrictions, pollution in 31 European countries could lead to clean-up costs of around two trillion euros within the next 20 years.
The challenges and high costs of this clean-up work are particularly evident in Düsseldorf, the city in North Rhine-Westphalia with the most PFAS sites. These chemicals have been found in the soil or groundwater at 24 locations in the city, some of which are also in drinking water protection areas. Düsseldorf has assigned three employees to 3.5 full-time positions specifically for PFAS.
Purification is achieved by extracting contaminated water from the ground and cleaning it in a treatment plant using activated carbon filters before returning it to the ground. Hundreds of soil samples are taken to monitor the spread of contamination through the movement of groundwater. The pumping stations have to be repositioned every few years. Six such stations are already active in Düsseldorf to reduce PFAS pollution.
The city estimates that the remediation work in the Gerresheim area will cost around 22 million euros over the next 15 years. These long-term and costly measures to combat PFAS contamination place a considerable burden on the city's financial resources.
