This policy brief addresses growing concerns around PFAS, a group of highly persistent synthetic chemicals used in industrial and consumer products. Due to their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, PFAS resist degradation, causing long-term harm to the environment and human health. Two well-known PFAS – PFOS and PFOA – are listed as persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention.
Data from over 200 wastewater treatment plants in the Baltic region show that PFAS levels in effluents often exceed EU Environmental Quality Standards, with some compounds increasing during treatment due to precursor breakdown. Conventional treatment methods are largely ineffective at removing these substances.
The brief calls for harmonized monitoring, improved testing and comprehensive regulation targeting the entire PFAS group. It stresses the urgent need to stop contamination at the source to protect ecosystems and public health.