{"id":223062,"date":"2023-03-10T23:14:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-11T04:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=223062"},"modified":"2024-11-14T10:32:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T15:32:30","slug":"skiers-and-snowboarders-face-high-risk-of-exposure-to-pfas","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2023\/skiers-and-snowboarders-face-high-risk-of-exposure-to-pfas\/","title":{"rendered":"Skiers and Snowboarders Face High Risk of Exposure to PFAS"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-left has-light-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Hands putting wax on skis\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-755x503.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2023\/03\/ski-wax-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">environmental safety<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSkiers and Snowboarders Face High Risk of Exposure to PFAS\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Waxing may pose significant risk of exposure to PFAS and other environmental contaminants among the US ski and snowboard community.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">March 10, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/jillian-mckoy\/\">Jillian McKoy<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>Skiers and snowboarders routinely apply wax to the bottom of their skis and boards because it helps the equipment glide faster and more consistently across snow. However, many of the waxes contain harmful&nbsp;per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other chemicals that are hazardous to human health and to the environment. Harmful solvents are also commonly used to clean wax off of equipment, and all of these contaminants are released into the air, water, and snow near ski and snowboard areas, posing health risks to humans and wildlife.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While previous research has examined occupational exposure to these contaminants by wax technicians, there is limited data on the extent to which recreational skiers and snowboarders may be affected by these hazards. Now, a study led by a School of Public Health researcher indicates that\u00a0waxing skis\u00a0and snowboards for recreational use may pose\u00a0a\u00a0significant risk of exposure to PFAS and other environmental contaminants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0013935122016620?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Published in the journal&nbsp;<em>Environmental Research<\/em><\/a>, the study found that most skiers and snowboarders in the United States apply fluorinated waxes that contain&nbsp;PFAS to their equipment, often multiple time each year, and over many years\u2014and that protective equipment is not widely used. Known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d because they are difficult to break down, PFAS are linked to a number of health conditions, including increased cholesterol levels, cancer, liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased vaccine response, and developmental and reproductive complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings suggest that targeted&nbsp;educational initiatives are needed to encourage US winter sport participants to&nbsp;adopt protective measures that can reduce their exposure to these harmful waxes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEducational awareness about the health risks of PFAS in our bodies and in our environment would help reduce use and, thus, help reduce exposure,\u201d says study senior author&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/birgit-claus-henn\/\">Birgit Claus Henn<\/a>, associate professor of environmental health. \u201cI also think this could help motivate participants of the sports to continue to seek safety measures and to exert pressure on the waxing industry for hopefully safer alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the study, Claus Henn and colleagues surveyed 569 members of the US ski and snowboard community about their wax use and\/or exposure. The group included people who engaged directly and indirectly in recreational or professional cross-country and downhill skiing or snowboarding\u2014i.e. coaches, technicians, current and former athletes, current and former industry professionals, and family members or friends of current or former participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 92 percent of people surveyed reported that they used some form of wax, 67 percent used&nbsp;PFAS-containing waxes, and 62 percent also used solvents for ski base cleaning.&nbsp;Wax was most commonly used among cross-country skiers, followed by downhill skiers and then snowboarders. Cross-country skiers used personal protective equipment and worked in ventilated spaces more than the other athletes, but overall, the majority of athletes did not adopt these measures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The intensity with which skiers and snowboarders apply wax, coupled with long-term and frequent use of wax, places these athletes at a heightened risk of exposure to PFAS. These chemicals are already present in drinking water and numerous consumer products, so any additional exposures are concerning, the researchers say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ski and snowboarding industries are slowly adopting safety measures to reduce this exposure, such as restricting fluorinated waxes or developing non-fluorinated alternatives. The famed ski town of Park City, Utah <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upr.org\/utah-news\/2023-03-08\/park-city-bans-fluoro-wax-that-pollutes-water-with-chemicals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recently banned<\/a> fluorinated&nbsp;wax after PFAS were found in groundwater wells. But&nbsp;educational awareness and outreach about these waxes are still critical, says Claus Henn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am encouraged by the industry&#8217;s plans to shift away from fluorinated waxes and by the banning of fluorinated ski waxes in competition\u2014however, this doesn&#8217;t mean exposure to PFAS from ski wax will cease right away,\u201d she says. \u201cEven following this shift or ban, it is likely that individuals will use up the wax that remains on our shelves, and residual contamination of dusts, for example, in environments where waxing was conducted is likely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the future, Claus Henn will work with SPH alum&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.middlebury.edu\/college\/people\/kate-crawford\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kate Crawford<\/a> (SPH\u201918), assistant professor of environmental studies at Middlebury College, on a study to measure to measure PFAS in dust wipes from waxing spaces and compare levels before and after the ban of fluorinated waxes from collegiate competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;ll need to keep an eye on&nbsp;chemical substitution,\u201d says Claus Henn. \u201cWhat is the composition of newer alternatives?&nbsp;Also, how do we properly dispose of the waxes containing these often highly persistent chemicals?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-two sphnews-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"362\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2021\/03\/pfas-copy.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Chemical exposures<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2021\/the-persistence-of-forever-chemicals\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">The Persistence of &#8216;Forever Chemicals&#8217;<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">March 26, 2021<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skiers and snowboarders routinely apply wax to the bottom of their skis and boards because it helps the equipment glide faster and more consistently across snow. However, many of the waxes contain harmful&nbsp;per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other chemicals that are hazardous to human health and to the environment. Harmful solvents are also commonly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":223079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"environmental safety","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[1086,2261,3162,3887],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3529,3531,3540],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[1704],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/223062"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223062"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/223062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":247188,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/223062\/revisions\/247188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223062"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=223062"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=223062"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=223062"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=223062"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=223062"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=223062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}