According to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time. Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment. PFAS are found in water, air, fish, and soil at locations across the nation and the globe. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.

In 2026, Daqian Jiang and his colleagues has created a model that has quantified PFAS retention and emissions associated with paints in the US starting from 2000 with projections up to 2060…Results revealed that in 2020, around 565 tonnes of PFAS were stored in in-use paint in the US…. By 2060, the model predicted that around 486 tonnes of these retained PFAS would accumulate in landfill sites, emitting 25 times more PFAS into the environment than in 2020, with hotspots driven by demolition activity and waste routing. ‘So even if PFAS use in paints were reduced or phased out today, substantial future emissions could still occur from the large quantities already present in existing buildings.’

Excerpt from James Urquhar, Paint in buildings a huge reservoir of PFAS waiting to enter the environment, Chemistry World, June 30, 2026