The Coalition for PFAS-Free Cooling & Heating recently hosted an online event featuring industry expert and Professor Michael Kauffeld in which he addressed the growing concerns over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the HVAC&R industry.
The session, titled PFAS: A Growing Concern in the HVAC&R Industry, took place Friday, February 14. Kauffeld is a professor at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning and Environmental Engineering in Germany. It is the first in a three-part series leading up to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) plenary session taking place March 3–7, and the Socioeconomic Analysis Committee (SEAC) session taking place March 11–14. In the course of these sessions proposed restrictions on PFAS in f-gas applications are expected to be discussed.
“This online event occurred at a crucial time,” said Cinzia Verzeletti, a spokesperson for the Coalition for PFAS Free Cooling & Heating. “By highlighting the availability of PFAS-free alternatives in the HVAC&R sector, it serves as a timely reminder for committee members to thoroughly consider these options when evaluating the feasibility and potential impacts of the proposed restrictions. This information is essential for informed decision-making and the development of effective policies that promote both environmental safety and industry sustainability.”
Founded in October 2024, the Coalition for PFAS-Free Cooling & Heating promotes natural refrigerants as sustainable alternatives to harmful PFAS in the HVAC&R industry. The Coalition is also pushing for ambitious European PFAS regulations to protect environmental and human health.
The coalition includes several industry stakeholders such as ATMOsphere, Dorin, Fenagy, Güntner, Konvekta, Refra, Secon, Teko, Vahterus and Zudek, all committed to enhancing the sustainability of the HVAC&R sector.
“The natural refrigerants industry is mature and can step up to secure European leadership and decouple the sector from dependency from harmful, imported PFAS f-gases.”
Cinzia Verzeletti, Spokesperson for the Coalition for PFAS Free Cooling & Heating
PFAS and TFA in focus
During his presentation, Kauffeld touched on the amount of PFAS components in HVAC&R systems. In 2024, he analyzed a commercial heat pump using R410A and found that, without the refrigerant, PFAS components accounted for less than 1% of the heat pump’s weight. R410A is a 50–50 blend of R125 and R32, with only the former being PFAS. Kauffeld’s analysis reveals that phasing out f-gas refrigerants could reduce the PFAS used in HVAC&R products by up to 99%.
Kauffeld was named ATMOsphere’s “Person of the Year/Europe” at ATMO Europe 2024, which was held in November in Prague, Czech Republic. ATMOsphere is the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com. Kauffeld noted that PFAS-free HVAC&R components are available, including PFAS-free O-rings from Italian components manufacturer OLAB.
Kauffeld also spoke about the raft of studies on the concentration of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in groundwater throughout Europe, as well as its relationship to HFOs. Certain f-gases that are emitted from HVAC&R systems into the atmosphere undergo photolytic conversion to TFA (100% conversion for HFO-1234yf over two weeks) and then enter the water cycle through rainfall all over the world.
Recent studies have highlighted TFA’s risk to human and environmental health, categorizing it as a “planetary boundary threat.”
“The natural refrigerants industry is mature and can step up to secure European leadership and decouple the sector from dependency from harmful, imported PFAS f-gases,” said Verzeletti. “This comprehensive understanding will enable informed decision-making and effective policy recommendations regarding the PFAS restriction proposal when it comes to applications of f-gases.”
