Three athletes have been disqualified from events at the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics because of alleged use of ski waxes containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A ban on these waxes was announced by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) in 2019 that took effect in 2023 and involves testing for fluorinated ski waxes using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. These are the first Winter Olympics to feature such a prohibition.
What are PFAS?
PFAS – also known as ‘forever chemicals’ – are a family of an estimated 15,000 synthetic chemicals that have been widely used in consumer products globally since the 1950s. They all share a characteristic carbon chain with multiple fluorine atoms attached. They do not degrade easily in the environment because the carbon–fluorine bond is among the strongest in existence. The unique properties of these substances confer characteristics like repellence to oil, grease and water, as well as temperature resistance and friction reduction. This helps to create products that are non-stick and stain-resistant, for example.
However, PFAS are also highly mobile in the environment and they bioaccumulate, as well as biomagnify, up the food chain. PFOA and PFOS – the best studied of these substances – have been linked to serious health conditions like reproductive and developmental disorders, reduced immune function and certain types of cancer.
Last week, two female South Korean cross-country skiers and a Japanese male snowboarder were disqualified from Olympic events after their equipment tested positive for PFAS waxes. The three have only been excluded from the events where their equipment tested positive for PFAS and can still take part in other events. The Japanese snowboarder, Shiba Masaki, pushed back and pointed out that he had used the same board and wax in elite competitions leading up to these Olympics and never tested positive.
‘I have undergone fluorine testing at every World Cup competition using the same board and wax configuration, and have never tested positive,’ Masaki posted on Instagram. ‘When it comes to waxing, we do our own work during practice, but during competition we officially requested a professional serviceman to finish the board.’
Meanwhile, South Korean media outlets reported that the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee indicated that the women’s cross-country team ordered wax that complies with FIS rules, but the products that their long-term supplier delivered were apparently contaminated.
The hydrophobic qualities of PFAS-containing products provide athletes with ‘a big advantage in wet or humid conditions’, but they also do not biodegrade, FIS explained. ‘Evidence emerged that PFAS from melted snow run-off had contaminated water and food cycles. Later, a 2022 survey found over 80% of waterways in the United States contained PFAS.’ In addition, FIS emphasised that PFAS do not break down inside the human body and have been linked to several illnesses and conditions.
Recent research has also revealed highly elevated levels of PFAS in the bodies of ski wax technicians, measured as blood PFAS concentration, compared with other occupations and the general population.
Rebecca Aicher, project director for the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues, says ski wax is a known source of PFAS. ‘Scientists in the US have sampled snow at ski resorts and near ski resorts, and they found that the ski wax is often found in higher concentrations in snow where people have used ski waxes that have PFAS,’ she tells Chemistry World. ‘They also have found differences in natural areas versus areas with high amounts of skiers,’ she continued. ‘So, the PFAS in the ski wax, however you use it, is showing up on the snow.’
One of tricky things with PFAS-containing products is tracking the supply chain, Aicher notes. ‘I don’t know how ski wax is labelled … and I don’t know if body that that would ban it would also then provide a list of brands that do not contain PFAS,’ she adds.
Beyond PFAS in waxes used on skis and snowboards, Aicher says PFAS has also been found in the so-called ‘tech suits’ worn by Olympic swimmers. But potentially, she notes, any professional athletic gear that requires waterproofing, as well as friction reduction or stain resistance, could contain PFAS.
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