The paint on the walls of homes is quietly storing hundreds of tonnes of toxic PFAS that will leak into the environment for decades to come, new research has found.
A study published in the journal Chem Circularity reveals that the approximately 565 tonnes of PFAS embedded in American residential paint in 2020 constitute a reservoir nearly 50 times larger than annual emissions from paint at that time. Even if the use of PFAS in paint was banned today, legacy stocks already in buildings would continue to drive pollution well into the future.
PFAS are a class of more than 10,000 synthetic chemicals prized for their water- and stain-resistant properties. They are widely used in architectural paints as surfactants to improve flow and leveling, and are found in roughly half of commercial paint products. Their extreme persistence – the carbon-fluorine bond is among the strongest in chemistry – means they do not break down in the environment, earning them the ‘forever chemicals’ label.
The University of Alabama-led team developed a dynamic model tracking PFAS from paint application through to demolition and landfill disposal. They found that paint acts as a long-term reservoir, slowly releasing some PFAS over time while the overwhelming majority remains trapped in walls until buildings are eventually torn down.
When buildings are demolished, dispersed PFAS from thousands of homes converge on landfill sites. The study projects that by 2060, US landfills will accumulate approximately 486 tonnes of PFAS from paint alone, with emissions from these sites predicted to increase more than 25-fold compared to 2020 levels .
Researchers identified specific pollution hotspots driven by demolition activity and waste routing. The largest facility, in New Jersey, is projected to accumulate 13 tonnes and emit 40 kilograms of PFAS annually by 2060.
Daqian Jiang at the University of Alabama said: ‘Paint is used pervasively and is designed to last for many years. That combination of widespread use and long service life made architectural paint a potentially interesting product category for understanding PFAS movement through the built environment.
‘We expected that end-of-life accumulation would be important but what surprised us was the extent to which the end-of-life phase dominated the overall picture – it can become an issue years or even decades after the product is first applied.’
PFAS exposure has been linked to cancer, liver damage, reduced immune function and developmental disorders. The study’s delayed-emissions model suggests that focusing only on current manufacturing or product use vastly underestimates the long-term environmental burden.
The research also reveals a challenge for circular construction: hazardous chemicals embedded in long-lived building materials risk contaminating recycled materials unless chemical inventories are identified before demolition.
Jiang said: ‘Once we understand when and where PFAS releases are most likely to occur, this type of analysis can help evaluate mitigation strategies – for example, changes in product formulation, building renovation practices, waste management or policy interventions.’
‘From a broader environmental perspective, the work reinforces the need for better identification of PFAS-containing materials before demolition so that their redistribution in the environment can be monitored and predicted to help reduce future environmental releases,’ adds Byrne.
The full report can be read here
Photo: Marek Studzinski
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