PFAS in ski wax: Despite bans, these forever chemicals linger in wax rooms, study shows – so does their health risk

New research offers a cautionary tale about the difficulty of removing ‘forever chemicals’ from the environment.

By: Kathryn Crawford, Middlebury College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 3, 2026

Words: 1,149

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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By Kathryn Crawford, Middlebury College

For more than 30 years, manufacturers of ski and snowboard waxes used PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – to make skis and snowboards glide faster over snow. These synthetic chemicals were highly effective and common in competitive racing just about everywhere.

Then studies began finding PFAS in human bodies, and research suggested the chemicals could harm human health.

In response, racing groups such as the International Ski …

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