PFAS Residues Stay In Industrial 3D Printing Waste Streams And Coolant Fluids

3D printing coolant fluids and waste rinses have been shown to have PFAS contamination, which shows that manufacturing plants are a new source of chemical pollution

Sunday, October 12, 2025 - The world of 3D printing, which was once praised for being efficient and eco-friendly, is now facing an unexpected environmental setback. New research shows that PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, are showing up in the cleaning rinses, lubricants, and coolant fluids used in large-scale 3D printing. These chemicals help keep advanced printers from becoming too hot and sticking together, especially those that use metal powders or polymers that can handle high temperatures. However, when the wash water and cooling fluids are thrown away, PFAS can get into factory drainage systems and eventually make their way into public sewer lines. PFAS don't break down naturally, thus they can build up in treatment sludge or get into rivers and groundwater. Researchers have even identified PFAS aerosols in 3D printing facilities, which means that airborne contamination could reach beyond the production floor. Companies that used to call additive manufacturing a clean technology are now being challenged to check if their materials and solvents fulfill current environmental safety regulations. As more firms test their waste streams, people are starting to wonder about the cancer risk from long-term worker exposure to PFAS water contamination and the possibility of pollution downstream. Some factories have already called a PFAS water pollution lawyer to find out what kind of responsibility they might have under the new federal PFAS reporting standards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that industrial cooling fluids and lubricants may have fluorinated compounds in them that stay stable at high temperatures but are very hard to get rid of once they are discharged. Laboratory tests of wastewater from additive manufacturing operations in the US and Europe have found PFAS at levels that can be measured, especially in the leftovers from metal printing systems. To keep things from building up inside, a lot of 3D printers employ specific polymers like fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings. When these parts are cleaned or changed, PFAS particles and residues might get into the rinse water. The EPA claims that these chemicals are hard to get rid of from wastewater because they can stand up to heat, UV light, and most filtration processes. Because of this, typical industrial treatment systems don't work on them. Researchers looking into this say that PFAS in 3D printing environments may also stick to tiny particles of dust in the air, which can then migrate through ventilation ducts and settle on surfaces all across the building. Regulators now say that factories and workplaces should regularly test their air and waste for PFAS. Some states are even thinking about setting new discharge limitations just for high-tech manufacturing, an industry that used to be thought of as ecologically friendly.

Companies that make things via additive manufacturing will have to prove that innovation and sustainability really do go hand in hand. Engineers are already making PFAS-free lubricants and thermal transfer fluids consisting of silicone or plant-based oils that can handle very high temperatures without causing long-lasting contamination. Cleaning systems may also switch to closed-loop water recovery units with activated carbon or ion-exchange filters that are made to catch fluorinated compounds before they are released. It makes sense for an industry that prides itself on cutting down on waste to get rid of PFAS from the process.

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• Politicians Agree Camp Lejeune Service Members And Their Families Deserve The Right To Sue The Federal Government | 3/22/2022
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• Children Living Near Military Bases and Firefighting Stations Could Be At Risk Of Developing Cancer From The Drinking Water | 3/7/2022
• Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Survivors Could Get Their Day In Court | 3/6/2022
• Camp Lejeune Justice Act Is One Step Closer To Becoming A Reality | 3/5/2022
• County Governments Are Suing 3M For Failing To Warn Them of Forever Chemicals In Firefighting Foam | 3/4/2022
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