Impax Environmental Markets on addressing PFAS – Solutions to the forever challenge

Impax believes the urgent need to detect, treat and destroy ‘forever chemicals’ in the world’s water is creating investment opportunities that are broader and more valuable than many appreciate

Executive summary

Understanding of the potentially grave and lasting threats to public health and biodiversity posed by ‘forever chemicals’ is driving public pressure, regulation and litigation to reduce levels of PFAS in drinking water, rivers and seas.

Technologies that enable the detection, treatment and disposal of PFAS are evolving, with advanced solutions established in water testing and treatment processes.

Government regulation and rising investment in solutions are creating multi-decade opportunities for companies whose innovative products and services can address the PFAS challenge.

Water quality issues only occasionally bubble to the surface of public debate. Yet where they pose systemic risks to biodiversity and human health – and, by extension, the global economy – they can no longer be overlooked.

Governments and regulators are increasingly paying attention to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of thousands of synthetic organic chemicals that have been widely used since the 1940s. These ‘forever chemicals’ have an extremely broad spectrum of applications: from non-stick pans to fire resistant foams, and from pesticides to sportswear. Yet the chemical properties that make them so useful – their high stability and resistance to oil and water – mean they are extremely resistant to degradation.

The health risks associated with PFAS now drive a wave of regulation and litigation that is restricting their future use and setting targets for much lower levels in public drinking water. It is estimated that confronting the PFAS issue will involve more than US$250bn in spending globally. We see this already creating a tide of opportunities for companies whose products and services can detect forever chemicals, remove them from treated water and safely dispose of them.

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