Building materials that are widely used in Denmark and can be purchased at Danish DIY stores and online may contain fluorine compounds, including PFAS. This is shown in a new report 'PFAS in building materials – Challenges and solutions on the way to circular construction', which has conducted a random survey of a number of building materials. Fluorine compounds, including specific PFAS substances, were found in 11 of the 44 building materials that were tested.

The level of fluorine compounds in some of the samples is so high that it exceeds the limit value that has been proposed in the EU. These will therefore not be sold on the European market unless the manufacturer can document that they are not PFAS. Denmark, together with four other EU countries, has proposed a restriction proposal for PFAS. It is intended to reduce the use of PFAS, emissions to the environment and make products and processes safer for humans. The proposal is still under negotiation in the EU.

The study is the latest contribution to knowledge in the field. Previous studies have detected PFAS in, for example, paint, OSB boards, facade boards and insulation materials. The former Knowledge Task Force for PFAS, which was established by the government in 2023, concluded in a report that PFAS is widely used in construction, but that there is no overview of where and how much. International studies such as 'PFAS in Building Materials' by the American Green Science Policy also show that PFAS can be found in many construction products.

A building material has an impact not only in the use phase of the building, but also in the production of the building material, the construction of a building and the handling of construction waste when the building is demolished. PFAS content in a building material can therefore have an impact in more places than just the building. While in recent years there has been great public awareness about the occurrence of PFAS in the environment, there is still a significant lack of knowledge about how PFAS in building materials can, for example, affect the indoor climate.

Today, there are no limit values ​​for the content of PFAS in construction products or construction waste, and the available analysis methods are not sufficient to get a complete picture of the PFAS content in a product. This makes it difficult to both analyze and assess construction materials for PFAS. At the same time, there are very limited requirements for the declaration of construction products. All of this makes it difficult for the industry to opt out of PFAS.

Yet the industry is faced with new legislation that is on the horizon, which deals with chemicals in a broader sense. This includes the Construction Products Regulation, the EU taxonomy and REACH.

In the bigger picture, another question is pressing: Construction waste makes up 40 percent of all waste in Denmark. What do you do with the demand and desire for more reuse and recycling of materials if they contain PFAS?

Lone Hjorth Mikkelsen, PhD and senior advisor at the Green Transition Denmark:

"IThe content of PFAS and other harmful chemicals could become one of the biggest obstacles to a real circular transformation of the construction industry. We do not have a sufficient picture of where and in what quantities PFAS are found in construction, and this will create challenges for both waste management, the working environment and the indoor climate in existing and future construction projects.. Our new study supports the importance of introducing stricter regulations for harmful chemicals. "

Anke Oberender, senior consultant, Danish Technological Institute:

“We are working hard to create circular solutions in construction, where we have control over documentation and traceability of construction materials when they are to be reused or recycled. The presence of problematic substances, such as PFAS, is a major challenge. The construction industry can play a key role in reducing the input of PFAS into the environment by avoiding and phasing out these substances in construction. But we need better documentation, clearer requirements and action from all parties if construction is to contribute to protecting the environment and promoting reuse and recycling.”

In Sweden, they have taken important steps in the transition to circular construction, which Denmark can draw inspiration from:

Anna-Mette Monnelly, specialist, Søren Jensen Consulting Engineering Firm

In Sweden, for decades, national work has been done on chemical requirements in the construction industry, through the Construction Product Assessment, BASTA and SundaHus. In addition to this, there is the Construction Product Declaration, where manufacturers of construction products store content data about their products. The construction industry in Sweden is therefore equipped to be able to screen for harmful chemicals, including PFAS, more operationally. The Danish authorities and the construction industry thus have an inspiring role model to cooperate on – and we need that in order to be able to stop the accelerating consumption of PFAS and other harmful chemicals.

Martha Lewis, Head of Materials, Henning Larsen:

“Our new study, which complements other studies, shows how far the industry is from a circular approach to construction that is free of harmful chemicals. We urgently need transparency, stronger regulation and, above all, alternatives that allow us to design buildings without embedding harmful chemicals deeper into the environment.”

Katrine Hauge Smith, subject specialist, WSP:

“There is a great lack of knowledge about the use of PFAS in building materials and the consequences of using it. In addition, with current analysis methods, it is difficult to document and thus avoid PFAS in construction. The industry and the authorities need to work together to both produce knowledge and introduce operational limit values ​​and documentation methods if we are to succeed in avoiding PFAS.”

Key points from the study

The analyses showed the following overall results::

• 25% of the tested building products show a content of specific PFAS or indicate the content of PFAS via a screening of total fluorine.

• 8 samples had total fluorine content above the restriction proposal's proposed limit value of 50 mg/kg. This means that, according to the restriction proposal, manufacturers must document whether they are PFAS or non-PFAS.

• The highest concentrations for a specific PFAS were measured for 6:2 FTOH in three samples, of which two of the examined construction products would exceed the restriction proposal's proposed limit value of 25 μg/kg.

• Of the 44 samples included in the studies, it was not possible to conduct the analysis for total organic fluorine for 9 products due to the material properties of the products.

The study indicates that a number of commonly used construction products on the Danish market contain specific PFAS as well as other fluorine compounds that may indicate PFAS. We find levels of fluorine compounds that will result in manufacturers being required to provide documentation if the PFAS restriction proposal is adopted in the EU.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project 'PFAS in new and existing building materials during renovation' was carried out in collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects, the Danish Technological Institute, WSP, Søren Jensen Consulting Engineering Firm and the Council for Green Transformation.

The project is financed by the Landowners Investment Fund and Realdania.

Read the report here .

Find more detailed material on the project page here .