Ski tracks in the snow of a ski resort
Source: BAM
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of >12.000 various anthropogenic fluorinated organic compounds, which are used as coating material in various consumer products due to their unique properties. One common product that makes use of the material properties of such fluorinated hydrocarbons (PFAS) is ski wax because it provides less frictional resistance and thus allows increased skiing speed. In line with European Union regulations, trading and handling of any products containing C8 fluorocarbons/perfluorocarboxylic acid has already been prohibited at all International Biathlon Union (IBU) events in the 2021/2022 winter season. Fluoro waxes with a high carbon content fell under this ban, whilst shorter chain fluor containing C6 products were still allowed to be used at IBU events. Finally, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) banned all fluoro waxes from the start of the 2023/2024 winter season to reduce the environmental contamination as well as the risk to human health.
Two sources of risk associated with PFAS are identified in the context of ski sports. On the one hand, people who wax their skis could absorb PFAS in their body, which can lead to health problems in the long term. On the other hand, PFAS containing ski wax rubs off on the snow during use, contaminating the environment. In the present study, various currently available ski waxes from the 2020s as well as ski waxes from the 1980s were analyzed for individual PFAS compounds with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and PFAS sum parameters were determined using various methods. This showed that modern high-performance waxes contain up to 6 % fluorine. Moreover, snow samples from the “Kammloipe” cross-country ski trail in the Ore Mountains in Germany were analyzed to document the entry of PFAS from ski waxes into the environment. Snow samples from different locations confirmed the abrasion of the ski waxes into the snow. Moreover, soil samples from a PFAS hotspot were also analyzed. The results indicate that PFAS from the ski waxes are adsorbed in the soil after snow melting.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Ski waxes and snow from cross-country skiing in Germany - Comparative study of sum parameter and target analysis
Christian Vogel, Philipp Roesch, Philipp Wittwer, Thomas Sommerfeld, Maren Riedel, Peter Leube, Ute Kalbe, Ute Schoknecht, Franz-Georg Simon,
Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, Volume 16, 2024