Region Hovedstaden (Capital Region) is initiating five development projects to gain a better understanding of how fluorinated substances move through clay and into groundwater. These projects aim to enhance the region’s ability to assess the risk of PFAS substances on around 5000 potentially contaminated sites. The projects, which will run over the next two years, are financed with five million Danish kroner and are carried out in collaboration with both Danish and international companies as well as DTU Sustain at the Technical University of Denmark.
The background of the initiative includes several cases of elevated PFAS concentrations among residents in Korsør, new limit values for the substances, and increased knowledge of industrial uses of these substances. Line Ervolder (C), chair of the environmental and climate committee in Region Hovedstaden, emphasizes that they are facing a significant task.
“We must continue to deal with all other forms of pollution while also gaining concrete knowledge about PFAS substances,” says Line Ervolder, highlighting the need to understand how these substances behave in the environment, how quickly they spread, and whether they pose the same problem everywhere.
Professor Poul L. Bjerg from DTU Sustain emphasizes the importance of the project and the new knowledge that will be collected. “A better understanding of the transport and retention of PFAS is essential for the risk assessment of PFAS-contaminated sites and the protection of drinking water wells,” he says.
PFAS substances have been used in the industry since the 1950s due to their fat- and water-repellent properties. There are more than 11,000 different PFAS substances, which are suspected to be carcinogenic, disrupt hormones, and weaken the immune system. Some PFAS substances are known to accumulate in humans and animals, which only increases concerns about their long-term effects.
The data and results collected from the projects will be widely shared to ensure a greater understanding and effective protection against PFAS pollution in the future.