📋 Tender Overview
Ministry of Environment, together with Vilnius Gediminas University of Technology, organized a seminar-discussion on the management of perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated chemicals (PFAS).
Swedish, German and Latvian specialists from environmental protection and other institutions and scientific institutes shared their experience, insights and advice. Representatives of Lithuanian institutions identified the biggest challenges regarding the safe management of PFAS substances at the national and European levels, and agreed that in order to effectively reduce and prevent pollution with these substances, a common approach and better coordination of actions are necessary.
Perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are a large group of tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals. Due to the durability of these materials, they are widely used in the production of anti-smudge coatings, water-resistant fabrics, polymers, food packaging, fire-fighting foams, etc.
These so-called "eternal" chemicals are difficult to break down, easily accumulate in living organisms, and when they enter the human body, they cause disorders of the endocrine system, kidney and liver damage, developmental disorders, and cancer. These chemicals enter the water environment with sewage and are deposited from the air due to industrial activities.
This group of chemicals is very large, so there is a lack of information on which specific substances and in what quantities are used in Lithuania. Due to the lack of standardized test methods, only 10-30 substances from the whole group are monitored and studied in environmental components and living organisms.
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the most widely studied compounds. The results of studies aimed at clarifying the sources of pollution of these compounds showed their wide distribution: they were found in the effluents of leather processing, plastic production and processing, laundries, semiconductor manufacturing companies, car recycling companies surface wastewater samples, sewage sludge, landfills and filtrate, river water.
