PFAS Found In Car Wash Wax Additives That Go Into City Drainage Systems

Tests demonstrate that PFAS chemicals are in commercial car wash waxes and surface protectants

Sunday, October 12, 2025 - A car wash on the weekend that sounds harmless may potentially be making the PFAS pollution situation worse. Researchers who study the environment have found that a lot of commercial car wash waxes, ceramic coatings, and polymer sealants have PFAS in them. These are the same forever chemicals that are connected to cancer and hormonal problems. People love these additives because they make things look shiny and smooth and repel water. But when they rinse off, the water runs into storm drains, retention ponds, and local rivers. PFAS are very hard to break down chemically, so even one wash can release small amounts that stay in the environment forever. Over time, the effects of thousands of washes can cause sediment and groundwater to become contaminated in ways that can be measured. Researchers have already found PFAS in the water downstream from both automated and self-service car washes. This suggests that cleaning habits in cities may be a pollution source that hasn't been fully explored. People are starting to wonder if eco-friendly detailing products are really safe for the environment as more and more people learn about them. Some cities are rethinking discharge licenses for car wash companies because of the cancer risk linked to PFAS water contamination and regular vehicle maintenance. Environmental lawyers said that more and more people are asking questions about whether corporations or suppliers should be held responsible for not disclosing PFAS in items that get into public water systems. A lawyer specializing in PFAS water contamination can assist you in figuring out such claims and what cleaning duties you might have.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that PFAS are utilized in many cleaning and protection products because they may keep oil, dirt, and water away. But these same qualities make them almost tough to get rid of once they are in the environment. Tests in the lab have shown that wash runoff from some waxes and detailing sprays can have a lot of PFAS compounds in it, some of which are known to build up in fish and wildlife. The EPA argues that PFAS can stay in storm drains for decades after they get there because they mix with silt and flow through sewage outfalls. Some communities have started keeping an eye on the effluent from big industrial wash bays and fleet-cleaning depots. They typically find that the levels are higher than what is considered safe. Most of the time, car wash water doesn't go through industrial treatment systems. Instead, it flows via city drainage systems and into rivers that people use for recreation and sometimes for drinking water. Industry groups have recognized the problem and are collaborating with chemical suppliers to create fluorine-free formulations that don't last but yet work well. But acceptance has been gradual, and labeling isn't always clear, so people don't know that their favorite shine enhancer could be part of a bigger pollution problem.

Regulators will likely focus on PFAS emissions from modest but common urban sources like car washes. Environmental engineers are designing filtration machines that use activated carbon and reverse osmosis to catch PFAS in wash-water recycling systems before they are released. Cities may start requiring this kind of technology for all new or improved buildings. Several U.S. states are going to ban PFAS chemicals, so product makers are also under pressure to change the way their waxes and coatings are made.

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