Effects of fluorinated ski wax bans on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations in indoor dust from ski waxing workspaces

Abstract

Consumer products such as ski and snowboard (“ski”) wax can contain very high concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS; up to 100% by mass), attracting attention from scientific experts and the general public alike about exposure risk among consumers. Policies to regulate the use of PFAS in consumer products and guidance for how to clean indoor spaces where PFAS were heavily used are two common strategies to reduce people's overall exposure risk, but data on the efficacy of such interventions are lacking. Recent restrictions on PFAS in ski wax represent an import opportunity to evaluate the impact of such exposure reduction initiatives. We quantified PFAS in waxroom dust collected before (2020) and after (2023) fluorinated wax bans to evaluate their impact on exposure risk among people occupying areas where waxing had occurred. We detected PFAS in all dust wipe samples, though ∑PFAS concentrations were approximately two orders of magnitude higher before (8.08–150 ng cm⁻²) compared to after (0.013–0.735 ng cm⁻²) the implementation of wax bans. Legacy carboxylic acids were dominant in most samples, though the replacement compound Gen-X was most abundant in select samples spanning both years. The source of PFAS in 2023 dust wipe samples is unknown, but the presence of these compounds at measurable concentrations in all samples implies an ongoing, albeit greatly reduced, exposure risk for people occupying these indoor areas. These findings highlight a discrepancy between the apparent protection afforded by exposure interventions and reality, which signifies a need for improved risk communication among consumers.