thirtieth January 2024
New analysis claims skiers are leaving poisonous PFAS “perpetually chemical substances” behind on ski slopes. It discovered 14 several types of the chemical, generally utilized in ski wax, in soils in areas within the Austrian Alps. NEW
The analysis was executed by the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen and the College of Graz in Austria.
The examine’s outcomes come simply weeks after a ban on use of PFAS (Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances) in ski-wax in skilled snowboarding occasions.
This was on account of hyperlinks with critical well being considerations together with most cancers, fertility points and liver injury.
Wax is used on skis to cut back friction and allow skiers to go sooner.
Skis. Picture © PlanetSKI
“These chemical substances are known as perpetually chemical substances as a result of they are going to want a whole lot of years to interrupt down,” stated researcher, Viktoria Müller,
“Due to this, they may accumulate or unfold into the broader surroundings, together with groundwater methods, which is the primary concern.
“Whereas there was concern about using PFAS in ski wax for a while, this examine on Alpine ski slopes confirmed that snowboarding will produce orders of magnitude increased concentrations of PFAS onto wherever snowboarding is going down the place a lot of these wax space used.
“Nonetheless, even the place there is no such thing as a snowboarding, there are nonetheless small detections due to how extensively this chemical has now unfold within the surroundings.”
The examine, which was funded by the Macaulay Growth Belief, a charity which helps analysis into sustainable land use, regarded for round 30 of the most probably PFAS compounds anticipated to be present in ski wax.
The examine additionally examined six commercially obtainable ski waxes purchased in 2021, earlier than the ban of fluoro-wax for PFAS content material.
Of the six, 5 contained fluorinated compounds.
Whereas a variety of worldwide snowboarding our bodies have banned use of ski waxes containing PFAS, its enforcement solely just lately began taking place in worldwide occasions because of the time it took to create appropriate testing strategies.
The primary skier to be caught with PFAS on their skis was a two-time Olympic medallist who was disqualified following a race in late October throughout the Alpine World Cup in Austria.
PFAS is a man-made group of greater than 12,000 chemical substances, first used within the Forties, extensively utilized in family merchandise from frying pans to waterproof jackets.
It has additionally grow to be so widespread that there are background ranges of it discovered all over the world with latest research worldwide discovering these chemical substances in a variety of sudden locations, equivalent to bottled water.
Considerations round its hyperlinks to well being points have led to requires bans on using PFAS and, to this point, a quantity have been banned, whereas analysis is ongoing to seek out alternate options that may breakdown extra simply.
The work had funding from the Macaulay Growth Belief.
The complete examine could be discovered right here: Per and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) goal and EOF analyses in ski wax, snowmelts, and soil from snowboarding areas – Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts (RSC Publishing)
The Worldwide Ski and Snowboard Federation introduced a ban on fluorinated ski wax earlier this 12 months, for the 2023/2024 ski season. FIS to totally implement fluor wax ban at begin of 2023-24 season (fis-ski.com)
The Worldwide Biathlon Union has additionally banned fluorinated ski wax and began testing this season: Fluor ban: that is the way it works (biathlonworld.com)
