VIEWPOINT PFAS Filtration Solutions Call to Action

It is clear that PFAS (p er- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals) are used in so many applications it would be hard to list them all. Categories that get media attention include cookware, fabrics and carpets, fire fighting foam, and food packaging. In the 1950s, DuPont began commercial production of Teflon, using PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) as a processing aid, and 3M began manufacturing PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) for use in Scotchgard, firefighting foams (AFFF), and industrial repellents. Useful applications grew from there. In the 1990s, research began to emerge on the lasting harmful effects PFAS has on living beings, yet today they are still in use.

Are PFAS chemicals really forever? The answer, for now, appears to be yes. PFAS flew under the radar of the average consumer for many years, but not anymore. Lawsuits are popping up across the world. In the United States alone, there are:

• 9,000 ongoing lawsuits consolidated in the federal AFFF MDL alone (claims mostly tied to firefighting foams).

• 8,430 active cases against PFAS manufacturers and AFFF makers as of early 2025.

• Over 6,400 PFAS-related suits in U.S. federal courts dating back to 2005.

• Nearly 10,000 cases grouped in AFFF MDL by late 2024/2025.

In Sweden, Australia, Canada, Japan across the European Union, PFAS lawsuits and federal class actions are on the rise.

In June, The Guardian shared a horrific case in Sweden. In the article by Marta Zaraska, “Poison in the water: the town with the world’s worst case of forever chemicals contamination,” the author shares the story of the town of Ronneby, as well as a number of other cases. For a number of years in Ronneby, firefighting foam chemicals contaminated the municipal water system. Upon this discovery, the article states, “Children from affected areas had more than 37 times the amount of PFAS in their blood than children from outside the contaminated zone.” It is a candid read on the topic. Check it out: http://bit.ly/3HM2XD5.

The issue is rising in urgency, and not going away anytime soon, or ever. As companies continue to face payouts in class action settlements, they are going to look to the filtration and separation industry to provide them with better solutions to mitigate the issue. It is time for the filtration industry to rise to the occasion, show us your progress!

When compiling this issue, we wanted to start the conversation on PFAS filtration. I am not sure our efforts really scratch the surface. So, we invite your contributions on the topic. Share your company solutions with IFN ! Email csmith@inda.org, to tell your research and development story!

Caryn Smith Chief Content Officer & Publisher, INDA Media, IFN

International Filtration News Editorial Advisory Board

R. Vijayakumar, Ph.D., Chair AERFIL

Tel: +1 315-506-6883

Email: vijay@aerfil.com

Tom Justice, CAFS, NCT ZENE, LLC Filtration

Tel: +1 757-378-3857

Email: justfilter@yahoo.com

James J. Joseph

Joseph Marketing

Tel/Fax: +1 757-565-1549

Email: josephmarketing120@gmail.com

Wenping Li, Ph.D.

Agriltech Research Company

Tel: +1 337-421-6345

Email: wenpingl@agrilectric.com

Rishit R. Merchant

Parker Hannifin

Tel: +1 805-604-3519

Email:rishit.merchant@parker.com

Thad Ptak, Ph.D. TJ Ptak & Associates

Tel: +1 414-514-8937

Email: thadptak@hotmail.com

If you would like to utilize your expertise to help shape the content in the IFN, consider applying for the IFN Editorial Advisory Board. We welcome participation through input on trends and innovations, new story ideas and overall thought leadership. This is a collaborative board that provides input into the state of the industry. Send an email to Caryn Smith at csmith@inda.org for consideration.

Sabine