Full Breakdown
AI Data Centers and the Rise of “Forever Chemicals”
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Issue: PFAS in Cooling Systems and Chip Production
AI data centers use liquid-based cooling systems that employ per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), “forever chemicals” that persist for centuries. PFAS are also essential in semiconductor manufacturing, where their strong carbon-fluorine bonds enable lithographic processes. This overlap raises concerns about leaks, waste streams, and long-term health impacts.
Background & Context
The AI boom has accelerated data-center construction; a 2026 commercial-real-estate study reported data-center projects accounted for nearly 46 % of private construction that year, up from less than 5 % a decade earlier. PFAS’s heat-resistant, non-stick, and fire-retardant properties make them attractive for cooling fluids and chip-fabrication chemicals. Major producers—including Daikin, Arkema, and Chemours—are expanding capacity to meet demand, according to a ChemSec report.
Data & Statistics
- Waterways: PFAS are present in 83 % of U.S. waterways.
- Drinking water: EPA comments cite contamination of supplies for more than 170 million people.
- Semiconductor demand: A leading AI data center can contain roughly 45 million chips, each requiring small amounts of PFAS.
- Regulatory fast-track: Fewer than 10 chemicals have been fast-tracked for review, including one PFAS.
- Industry revenue: PFAS production accounts for half to two-thirds of Chemours’s $5.8 billion revenue.
Official Statements & Responses
- EPA spokesperson: “PFAS have been approved under every administration since 2016,” noting fast-tracking places chemicals at the front of the review queue without altering risk-assessment procedures.
Criticism & Opposition
- Lenny Siegel, Center for Public Environmental Oversight, warned that even closed-loop systems will eventually release PFAS.
- Kate Manz, University of Michigan, raised concern about PFAS transforming into trifluoroacetic acid, linked to thyroid impacts.
- A coalition of 17 environmental groups urged the EPA to reject Chemours’s fast-track application for Opteon 2P50, citing insufficient toxicological data.
Verbatim Quotes
- “A lot of these cooling systems, though, are what we call ‘closed loop,’ meaning that it’s not like you have fluorinated chemicals flowing in and out of the data center.” — Kyle Doudrick, University of Notre Dame
- “Now the worry is that no closed system is perfect and that these chemicals leak out over time, which is probably true. … Nothing is 100 percent sealed,” — Kyle Doudrick
- “We aren’t ever going to fix our current PFAS problems and address the rampant contamination that those chemicals have already caused if we are continuously approving more and more new PFAS,” — Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, Earthjustice
- “PFAS have been approved under every administration since 2016,” — EPA spokesperson
- “Fluorinated materials are kind of magical,” — Christopher Ober, Cornell University
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Extent of PFAS use: Fortune reports most data centers rely on air or non-PFAS liquids, while The Hill notes PFAS-based liquids are being explored for high-efficiency cooling.
- Definition of PFAS: Chemours argues Opteon 2P50 should not be classified as a PFAS; ChemSec and environmental groups disagree.
- Regulatory numbers: EPA cites “fewer than 10” fast-tracked chemicals, yet comments reference a broader class already contaminating water supplies for over 170 million people.
What’s Next
- EPA continues to evaluate PFAS submissions, including Opteon 2P50.
- On January 29, 192 French residents and four NGOs filed a lawsuit against Arkema and Daikin over alleged PFAS pollution in Lyon.
- Daikin and Arkema announced capacity expansions; Daikin plans to triple PFAS production for semiconductor equipment.
- Ongoing public-comment periods and potential state-level moratoria on large data-center projects could shape future regulatory and market dynamics.