When talking about PFAS, most people think of contaminated groundwater, fire-fighting foam or frying pans. Few people know that PFAS can also be found in, for example, contact lenses, guitar strings, condoms and garden cushions. Or in the many different building products that create the framework for our everyday lives.

But the report 'PFAS in building products – challenges and solutions on the path towards circular construction' reveals that the construction industry has a major and overlooked problem. Namely PFAS, which can potentially be found in everything from paint, sealants and floor coverings to insulation and facades. PFAS make the materials water, dirt and fire repellent, among other things – but they are also highly toxic and almost impossible to break down.

That is why PFAS are also referred to as eternal chemicals. The substances accumulate in people, in nature – and in our buildings. The report's test of 44 building products purchased in Danish DIY stores showed indications of PFAS in every fourth sample. There were PFAS indications in roofing felts, wooden floors, insulation and facade panels. This means that today we build and transform homes, schools and offices with materials that may in the future be classified as hazardous waste. This is the opposite direction of the circular economy – we are incorporating harmful chemicals into construction that can destroy our precious resources, and that future generations will have to deal with.

Legislation lags behind reality

The construction industry has received another incentive to contribute to the circular economy with the new legislation on selective demolition, and the ambitions for transformations and increased recycling are increasingly central to major developers. But how can we recycle a material that potentially contains harmful chemicals?

The EU and Denmark have taken important steps towards banning PFAS in clothing and kitchenware, but construction is largely unregulated. Only a few substances such as PFOS and PFOA are banned. The rest of the more than 12.000 PFAS compounds fly under the radar.

The new Construction Products Regulation could be a turning point. It will require documentation of substances that are harmful to health and will eventually introduce a digital product passport. But as it stands now, information about content will only be available to authorities – not to architects, contractors or builders. It is absurd that the industry that has to make choices about materials should not be allowed to know the chemical content. If PFAS is to be eliminated from construction, legislation must create transparency. Anything else can look like authorized greenwashing.

Responsibility and action – from developer to manufacturer

The PFAS report points to a number of concrete solutions. Developers and consultants must set requirements such as requesting documentation, requiring analyses performed in approved laboratories and choosing materials without PFAS. PFAS is not necessary to create durable or functional buildings; what we built 100 years ago did not contain PFAS. There are alternatives. Manufacturers must take their share of responsibility. PFAS can be designed out of products, and substitution must be an active goal. The companies that lead the way should be highlighted as role models.

At the same time, digital material and building passports should be introduced, where PFAS and other harmful chemicals are registered. This will give the craftsmen and recycling sector of the future the knowledge they need to handle materials safely and enable the real estate sector to get a handle on what their investments consist of.

The hidden price forever

The Nordic Council of Ministers has calculated that PFAS-related health impacts cost society between 52 and 84 billion euros per year in Europe. This includes costs for treating liver damage, thyroid diseases, obesity, fertility problems and cancer. In addition, there are costs for landfill, clean-up, etc. This is not only a real-time economic disaster. Future generations will pay the bill, which will only grow as long as we continue to use PFAS. Avoiding PFAS is not a technical challenge – it is an ethical and economic necessity.

A call to politicians and industry

PFAS in construction is a problem that cannot be seen or smelled. But it can hide in the walls, roofs and floors around us. In order to future-proof our society and resources, we must stop building new environmental bombs. Therefore, politicians must extend the PFAS ban to include construction products, introduce requirements for content declaration and support the development of alternatives to PFAS.

The construction industry has a unique opportunity: to become the first sector to take responsibility for its own materials – from cradle to grave. But this requires us to say no to the eternal chemicals and yes to a truly free and informed choice.

This debate post was published in Ingeniøren's media BuildingTech on October 31, 2025. It was written by: 

• Anna-Mette Monnelly, specialist, Søren Jensen
• Martha Lewis, Head of materials, Henning Larsen
• Lone Mikkelsen, senior advisor at the Green Transition Denmark