The issue of PFAS is top-of-mind for many in the finishing industry, and we spoke with Chandler Mancuso, Global Technical Director at MacDermid Envio Solutions, about what facility owners need to know.
“The biggest news that we've seen come out in just the last month is not only the EPA finalizing their drinking water limitations for several PFAS compounds, but we've also seen PFOS and PFOA now get listed as hazardous substances under CERCLA,” Mancuso says. “Those are the two big announcements that have brought PFAS back into the center stage, if you will, not only within our industry but also in the mainstream media.”
Mancuso provided advice on what finishers and coaters should be doing to help prepare for possible new guidelines from the EPA and other agencies. The first would be to test their facility for the presence of PFAS, and the second is to consult with an advisor or supplier on what can be done to remediate the issue if they test positive.
“For those who haven't done a thorough investigation to see if PFAS is present in the facility, they should determine how much, what types, and where it is coming from,” Mancuso says. “Are there some easy ways to eliminate some of those sources of PFAS? That, of course, is going to be the first step because that's going to allow you to really understand what the landscape looks like in your particular situation.”
Some technologies currently exist that can help a facility begin to deal with PFAS if it is in its systems.
“The good news is we still have a lot of time, but what's coming seems fairly inevitable at this point,” Mancuso says. So let's take advantage of that time and start to consider what the options may be.”
