Forever chemicals in ski wax are being spread on snowy slopes

• Escaping to somewhere seemingly so pristine felt like a world away from where I grew up in London.
• Certain PFAS are used in ski wax applied to skis and snowboards as lubrication.
• A new study has found high PFAS concentrations in ski waxes and in the snow and soil sampled from popular skiing areas in Austria.

The problem with persistence

• Because PFAS don’t break down easily, they can persist inside our bodies or in the environment for many years.
• Some PFAS can be toxic to humans and wildlife, with links to cancers, developmental and reproductive problems, hormone disruption, diabetes and obesity.

A slippery slope?

• In 2010, a Swedish study, found high levels of various PFAS in ski wax and in the blood of ski-waxing technicians.
• The fascinating thing about the new study is the potential for these chemicals to transfer into the environment from recreational and professional skiing equipment.
• The researchers highlight how the PFAS profiles (the combination of different PFAS found in each sample) differed between locations and sample types.
• This variability was attributed to differences between ski waxes that had been manufactured at different times or in different places.

A class-based approach

• This has invariably led to the replacement of banned chemicals with structurally similar ones.
• If accepted by member states, it could prove a significant step towards the beginning of the end for forever chemicals.
• But a ban that only applies to professional competition won’t stop PFAS chemicals from reaching the slopes.

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Daniel Drage has previously worked on projects funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland. He is a Lecturer in Environmental Health at the University of Birmingham, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Queensland (Australia).