Electroplaters/metal finishers/circuit board manufacturers
PFAS-containing chemicals, specifically those containing perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) were used by electroplaters as a demister/defoamer/surfactant to control air emissions of hexavalent chromium beginning in the mid-1990s. While hard chrome and decorative chrome platers using hexavalent chrome are the most likely sources, PFAS have also been found in wetting agents and other plating chemicals involving other metals and plastics. Even if used many years ago, PFAS-containing chemicals may persist in plating tanks, etch tanks, sumps air emission control systems and secondary containment pits. Some chemicals identified as PFOS-free may still contain PFAS. We are still learning about the behavior of these chemicals, and there are concerns that chemical changes may occur in plating and etch baths. Platers in Michigan and Minnesota were found to have PFOS contamination in their wastewater years after they discontinued use of PFOS-containing chemicals.
