PFAS Cleanup in Europe Could Cost Up to 2 Trillion Euros Over Two Decades, EU Prepares Ban

Jan 14, 2025, 07:48 AM

The cost of cleaning up PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' across Europe could reach up to 2 trillion euros over the next two decades, according to a collaborative investigation by the Forever Lobbying Project. These chemicals, which are highly resistant to degradation and linked to health issues such as liver damage, thyroid disease, and cancer, have been found in various consumer products and industrial applications. The European Union is currently preparing legislation to ban PFAS due to their harmful effects. The investigation also highlighted that the costs could escalate if no action is taken to restrict PFAS use and if less-known but widespread PFAS compounds are also targeted for removal. In Finland, cleanup costs are estimated to range from 137 million to 1.7 billion euros over the same period. The removal of well-known PFAS like PFOS and PFOA alone could cost 95 billion euros. Additionally, the TFA compound, found in drinking water and even in children's fruit purees, poses a significant challenge for cleanup. In Belgium, 3M is facing over 500 million euros in cleanup costs for its former production sites.