The PFAS problem: From Fanø to Flint

08/31/22 • 34 min

For decades PFAS has been used in various industries. Now, we are facing the consequences of the widespread use of industrial chemicals contaminating our groundwater, and seeing the effect it has on the human body.

PFAS have been used in commercial products since the 1940s. They can be in products such as clothing, furniture, food packaging, cooking materials, electrical insulation, and firefighting foam.

In this episode of WATER x FUTURE, we are talking with a professor in toxicology Lisbeth E. Knudsen at the University of Copenhagen. Recently, she has been featured a lot in the danish media due to PFAS problems on the island of Fanø in the western part of Denmark.

We are also talking to Dr. Jonatan Kleimark, Senior Chemicals and Business Advisor at ChemSec, also known as the International Chemical Secretariat - an independent non-profit organization founded in 2002 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The organization works towards a world free of these 'forever' chemicals.
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PFAS have been used in commercial products since the 1940s. They can be in products such as clothing, furniture, food packaging, cooking materials, electrical insulation, and firefighting foam.

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How will emerging technologies reshape the F&B industry?

The food and beverage industry is constantly changing and adjusting to new trends. One of the most prominent trends in the last couple of years is the 'clean label' trend that allows consumers to avoid E-numbers in their food and drinks.

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The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition

More than 10,000 water professionals, thought-leaders, decision makers, leading researchers, and business representatives from within and outside the water sector were gathered in Copenhagen during the five days of the International Water Association World Water Congress and Exhibition, which focused on water solutions, applications, and innovations.

During the IWA, the danish company Aquaporin made a lot of events to spark a debate on water and the problems surrounding for instance PFAS in your everyday water.

These highlights include a live water tasting at Bella Center Copenhagen and a panel discussion at Copenhagen-based cinema Empire Bio, which was organized by Aquaporin. In the panel were Lisbeth Knudsen, professor in toxicology at the University of Copenhagen, Paul O‘Callaghan, CEO and founder of BlueTech Research, and Peter Holme Jensen, Chief Innovation Officer and founder at Aquaporin.

Dive into an incredible week of water where the smart liveable cities were the focal point for both exhibitors and the congress.