Paint in buildings a huge reservoir of PFAS waiting to enter the environment

Painted surfaces in the built environment will likely pose a delayed environmental risk from harmful per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) decades down the line, according to a new study. The researchers showed that painted surfaces act like a long-lived reservoir, gradually releasing PFAS into the environment across their lifetime, including use, renovation, demolition and disposal, highlighting a need to better understand this underrepresented and delayed source of PFAS emissions to help inform policy, risk assessments and mitigation strategies.