“Forever Chemicals” in a Changing Climate: How PFAS Threatens Water Security in an Era of Extremes

Introduction: The Chemical That Wouldn’t Go Away

In a rural pocket of Maine, families abandoned wells they had used for generations after testing revealed dangerously high levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) — synthetic chemicals once used in firefighting foams and stain-resistant fabrics. Across the Pacific in Australia, similar scenes unfolded as the government designated dozens of military bases as PFAS-contaminated zones. In the Netherlands and Belgium, entire towns are under cleanup orders. Even Arctic wildlife now show traces of these “forever chemicals,” carried by wind and water to places where they were never used.

PFAS are becoming a global water contamination crisis. But the challenge is not just chemical — it is also climatological. As droughts, floods, wildfires, and extreme weather events become more frequent, the behavior and spread of PFAS is changing. For example, changes in temperatures and precipitation patterns can lead to more water run-off, spreading PFAS to more land and water bodies. Water systems built for a more stable past are vulnerable to the climate stress and are struggling to manage the mobility and persistence of these compounds.

My faithful stainless steel pan after I learned more about PFAS and PFOS in activated sludge in my grad school years.

What Are PFAS—and Why Are They Dangerous?

PFAS are a class of over 12,000 human-made chemicals developed in the 1940s for their water- and grease-resistant properties. Their invention has been regarded as revolutionary and since then, they have been widely used for industrial application and our daily life. Two of the most studied variants, PFOA and PFOS, have been used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, waterproof clothing, and industrial applications.

Scientific research has associated PFAS exposure with increased cancer risk, developmental delays, reduced vaccine response, liver damage, and endocrine disruption. Pregnant women and their fetuses are found to be particularly vulnerable. These compounds persist in the environment, leading to their accumulation in the drinking water systems. Knowing the risks, decision-makers would need to translate them into actionable monitoring and infrastructure strategies such that their exposure could be better controlled and the impacts are more manageable.

Effects of PFAS on human health. By European Environment Agency (Sources: US National Toxicology Program, (2016); C8 Health Project Reports, (2012); WHO IARC, (2017); Barry et al., (2013); Fenton et al., (2009); and White et al., (2011))

A Global Pattern of Contamination

Despite their synthetic origin, PFAS have been detected in environments across the globe—even in areas with no direct industrial sources. Global case studies confirm their widespread distribution:

- Australia: Legal proceedings and remediation are ongoing at PFAS-contaminated defense sites.

- Belgium: Soil remediation is underway near a 3M factory following elevated PFAS levels in resident blood samples.

- Canada: The final State of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) report and risk management approach was released in March 2025. Article monitoring programs have also identified PFAS in remote areas.

- China and South Korea: Regulatory tightening follows river basin contamination linked to manufacturing facilities.

These cases underscore the systemic and transboundary nature of PFAS pollution. In one of the largest environmental settlements in the U.S. history, 3M, a major manufacturer of PFAS products, had agreed to pay $10.3 billion to support public water systems to continue testing and treating PFAS over the next 13 years, to resolve claims that its PFAS products contaminated drinking water across the country. Another three companies, including Dupont/Chemours/Corteva also reached joint settlement for $1.185 billion with U.S. public water agencies for PFAS contamination. These signifies the start of a new era where the manufacturer would be accountable for the environmental impacts of the products they manufactured.

The Regulatory Tipping Point

Until recently, PFAS remained largely unregulated. In 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced enforceable limits for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt) — a significant reduction from previous advisory levels. In parallel, Canada is reviewing proposals to lower its 30 ppt drinking water guideline, while the European Union is moving forward with a sweeping restriction targeting over 10,000 PFAS compounds.

These regulatory milestones indicate growing consensus on the need for stricter PFAS controls. However, inconsistencies across jurisdictions continue to pose challenges for multinational compliance and long-term policy planning. The transboundary movement of these persistent chemicals further complicates efforts to assign accountability and allocate the financial burden of PFAS contamination.

When Climate Disruption Meets Chemical Persistence

PFAS behavior in the environment is increasingly shaped by climate variability. Extreme weather events mobilize legacy contamination in new and unpredictable ways:

• Floods can leach PFAS from soils into surface water systems.

• Droughts concentrate PFAS levels in shrinking aquifers.

• Wildfires may aerosolize PFAS-laden materials, affecting air and soil.

• Sea-level rise risks introducing PFAS into coastal groundwater.

Fate of PFAS in the environment. (Source: Michigan Department of Environment (2020))

Climate-Resilient Approach to PFAS

Addressing PFAS in a climate-impacted world requires a multidisciplinary and data-informed approach. We work with public and private sector clients to translate environmental knowledge into actionable policy and infrastructure strategies. Key focus areas include:

1. Monitoring Systems: Analytical technologies such as LC-MS (liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry), remains the gold standard for assessing PFAS. However, it is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Emerging sensor technologies will be vital for scalable and real-time PFAS detection and monitoring.

2. Geospatial Risk Modeling: Integrating PFAS detection with climate projections helps identify areas of elevated exposure risk. This supports spatial prioritization and informed remediation planning.

3. Equity Considerations: Planning must incorporate vulnerable and historically exposed communities. Legal and policy frameworks are evolving to assess damages and ensure fair treatment in remediation and compensation efforts.

4. Treatment Technologies: Reuse and reclamation of treated sewage is a popular option for diversifying water resources. A robust cost-benefit analysis is needed to assess the viability of technologies like activated carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and advanced plasma-based systems for removing PFAS from the sewage.

Conclusion: From Legacy Liability to Strategic Action

PFAS contamination is not just a story of environmental persistence — it is a case study in how industrial legacy, scientific uncertainty, and climate volatility now intersect in profoundly systemic ways. As the science around PFAS evolves and extreme climate events amplify their mobility and exposure risks, the burden on infrastructure, governance, and public trust will only increase.

What’s needed now goes beyond regulatory compliance. It calls for a fundamental shift in how organizations understand, prioritize, and manage chemical risks in the context of a changing climate. Environmental strategies can no longer operate in silos or respond only when damage is visible. Instead, they must be proactive, data-informed, and embedded within broader resilience planning — capable of addressing both historical liabilities and emerging systemic pressures.

[First published on Substack "Ginci Insights" on May 7, 2025: : https://gincinno.substack.com/p/forever-chemicals-in-a-changing-climate?r=2cxt8s]