The Growing PFAS Problem – Forever Chemicals
If you are redeveloping a site where C8 AFFF has been used historically, the chances are you may well have a PFAS contamination problem to deal with.
These ‘forever chemicals’ now fall into the scope of the Environment Agency. And that means many active or former firefighting training schools or stations may require additional work, under the planning regime, to deal with PFAS before they are developed.
And while PFAS have been dubbed ‘forever chemicals’, new technologies are now available that are providing long term, cost-effective remediation solutions.
What are PFAS and why are they a problem?
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) is the group name for over 10,000 industrial chemicals that are found in everyday products, such as non-stick cookware, food packaging, stain/water repellents, car care products and toiletries.
But it is their historic use in class B AFFF which is a major source of PFAS contamination. PFAS have been used in Class B firefighting foams since the 1960s. This accounts for almost a third of global PFAS production. This is why many current sources of PFAS contamination come from active or former firefighting training stations at fire stations, airports, refineries, maritime and military facilities.
The main function of PFAS in AFFF products is to provide spreading and seal ability properties. PFAS lower the surface tension of the foam, allowing it to spread rapidly on burning liquids, while also providing resistance to the diffusion of flammable vapours.
The chemical stability of PFAS ensures that the film persists in fire conditions, but also that it persists in the environment.
However, alternatives to C8 PFAS foams, such as Flourine Free Foams (F3), have similar extinguishment performance and are increasingly being used as replacements.
While PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS are banned under the Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulations 2007 (POPs), there is currently an exemption in place for the use of PFOA in firefighting foam for Class B fires already installed in systems, permitting that all releases can be fully contained. This exemption is in place until 4 July 2025.
PFAS can also be divided into ‘short chain’ (< C5) and ‘long chain’ (C5-C8 compounds (ITRC PFAS naming convention), with short chain ones being more mobile, water soluble and harder to treat than long chain ones.
PFOS = Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (C8HF17O3S)
Two long chain compounds PFOA (perfluorooctonoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) were the focus of attention in the early days.
PFAS are a problem because they are toxic, persistent and mobile. On sites where class B AFFF have been used, the PFAS spreads from the foam to the soil and groundwater beneath creating an on-going source of contamination. This, in turn, can migrate off-site via surface drainage and groundwater to impact sensitive environmental receptors, i.e. aquifers, rivers and lakes and directly affect human health via drinking water supplies.
Categorised as POPs, the EA wrote to organisations that store and use firefighting foams notifying them of their obligations regarding POPs on 22 March 2025. Green Screen Certification is now available for fluorine free foams.
PFAS in the media and Government
Around the globe, we are now dealing with the legacy PFAS contamination issues. It is a very well documented problem in the US and Australia and closer to home, Europe is catching up fast.
Research recently published in the Guardian newspaper has estimated the cost of cleaning up toxic forever chemical pollution could reach more than £1.6tn across the UK and Europe over a 20-year period, an annual bill of £84bn. (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/14/cost-clean-up-toxic-pfas-pollution-forever-chemicals)
Alongside the many technical papers in the academic journals, there have been a growing number of PFAS articles published in major newspapers over the last 12 months. PFAS was also the subject of the Radio 4 flagship environmental programme ‘Rare Earth’ recently, where the challenges at Angus Fire in Bentham and Jersey Water were highlighted along with other sites. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00290dl
The PFAS issue is growing exponentially and is not going away anytime soon!
The Government Environmental Audit Committee has recently launched a new inquiry: “Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).” ATG Group responded to this enquiry from the perspective of remedial solutions available.
ATG Group was also one of the companies selected to respond to the recent Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) request for information on PFAS used to brief ministers.
In recent years, PFAS has emerged as a contaminant of concern and is now a rapidly evolving field of study for scientists, consultants, contractors, technology providers and regulators across the world. PFAS are toxic and known to bio-accumulate in organisms, causing significant problems to the environment by impacting soils, groundwater, animals and human health.
The widespread discovery of PFAS chemicals in groundwater, surface waters and drinking water across the globe is of huge concern, prompting urgent scientific research into their chemical, toxicological, transportation and bioaccumulation properties.
ATG Group is currently working on several PFAS remediation projects and studies and can supply proven PFAS remediation technologies from around the world.
Forever Chemicals
The carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS is one of the strongest chemical bonds there is. Under typical soil conditions, it can take over 1,000 years for some PFAS to degrade. PFAS can be released into the environment at every stage of the product lifecycle.
Firefighting Foams (Aqueous Film Forming Foams – AFFF)
The legacy of using PFAS-containing firefighting foams in fire suppressant systems causes another major source of on-going contamination. This is because multiple bio-layers of fluorosurfactants formed in the crystalline matrix on surfaces can act as a reservoir of PFAS long after the contaminated foams are replaced Fire-suppression systems require effective decontamination which is a service ATG now offer.
Landfill leachate is another source of PFAS contamination being actively assessed in the UK at present.
Regulations and Liabilities
Regulations and guidance concerning acceptable concentrations of PFAS in the environment (e.g. drinking water, groundwater, surface water, effluent discharges) vary significantly and are rapidly changing around the world.
In the UK, interim PFAS guidance was published by CL:AIRE (on behalf by DEFRA) in May 2024 that is relevant to the assessment of human health risks from land contamination. The Category 4 Screening Levels are used for planning remediation decisions and enforcement by local authorities under the contaminated land regime. C4SLs have only been set for 4 PFAS so far: PFOA, PFNA, PFOS and PFHxS.
In March 2025 the Drinking Water Inspectorate published updated guidance for PFAS in drinking water. Water companies must keep 48 named PFAS under 0.1 micrograms per litre which is equivalent to 0.1 parts per billion.
DWI_PFAS-Guidance_Mar_2025.pdf
The liability issues associated with PFAS contamination can be very significant. The regulatory bodies (EA, DWI, H&S) are all taking the PFAS contamination problem extremely seriously. The insurance industry is becoming increasingly aware – new insurance policies now contain PFAS exclusion clauses, but specialist environmental insurance is also available, in some cases, for managing third party and off-site environmental liability.
PFAS Remediation Solutions
Because of the unique physical and chemical properties of PFAS, they are very difficult to degrade/destroy and as such are not effectively treated by the normal suite of remediation technologies. For example, bioremediation is largely in-effective and adsorption onto standard Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is relatively poor, unsustainable, and expensive to dispose of once spent, with High Temperature Incineration being the only current option.
However, significant research and investment have led to the development of several new PFAS specific remediation technologies, which are now proven at field scale and are commercially available. The most effective technologies involve concentration, separation and adsorption with removal efficiencies of more than 99% achievable for some compounds.
Through partnerships built with a range of these specialist technology companies, ATG Group is now able to offer scientifically proven and cost-effective treatment solutions for PFAS contamination in soil, sediments and water.
We are actively involved in several PFAS projects across Europe, including a Fire Station re-development in the south of England and are gaining increasing expertise and experience to help with a variety of PFAS challenges.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with ATG Group information at atg.group/