The liability risk of forever chemicals
PFAS: universal and
unstoppable
by Jasmin Oberdorfer, economic journalist
PFAS chemicals are now used in countless products. They leave traces in the environment and the human body. The long-term implications remain unclear, as do the most effective methods for dealing with so-called “forever chemicals” in future. This raises questions for many industries, not least the insurance industry. Underwriters must find appropriate methods for dealing with these difficult-to-estimate risks.
Anyone who enjoys walking by the sea will be familiar with the scene: foam residues often form where the waves meet the shore. Your feet sink into the foam, children play with it, and dogs chase after it. It’s an experience that’s associated with holidays and relaxation.
However, few people realise that in certain places this foam contains high concentrations of harmful PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). This was the conclusion reached by the environmental organisation Greenpeace after examining sea foam along German coastlines. The researchers found concentrations of up to 160,000 nanograms per litre of the chemicals in the samples. For comparison, Denmark has stipulated a limit of 40 nanograms per litre for bathing water. The German samples exceeded this value by a factor of 290 to 3,777.
But how do PFAS end up in the sea? Synthetically produced compounds have been in industrial use since the end of the 1940s due to their water-, grease- and dirt-repellent properties. The substances – also known as “forever chemicals” – are found in numerous products, including raincoats, Teflon pans, dental floss, lipstick, pizza boxes, silicone seals and fire extinguishing foams. PFAS compounds can also persist in the ground as production residues, bodies of water or industrial waste, such as sewage sludge. The problem is that these chemicals, many of which are classified as hazardous to health, are not easily biodegradable and progressively accumulate in the environment.
This is also a cause of concern for the insurance industry, as PFAS-related claims could lead to highly unpredictable costs. Here, we consider the topic of PFAS from the perspectives of science, law, industry and the insurance industry.
Persistent, toxic, ubiquitous
It is estimated that more than 10,000 PFAS substances are in circulation. “We distinguish between three groups”, says Michaela Müller from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. “Firstly, fluorosurfactants, which are found in fire extinguishing foams and cleaning agents among other things. Secondly, fluoropolymers, which are used in many production facilities and consumer products. And thirdly, fluorinated gases, which are employed in special industrial applications”.
Fluorinated gases not only contribute to the greenhouse effect, but also release harmful degradation products, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), into the environment through precipitation. Fluorosurfactants also end up in the environment (e.g. through firefighting operations), where they pollute the soil and water. They also reach the human body via drinking water or food, such as fish and vegetables. In 2020, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) defined a tolerable intake of 4.4 nanograms per kilogram of bodyweight per week for four PFAS. This is due to the fact that certain fluorosurfactants are suspected of being harmful to the metabolism, reproductive system and immune system as well as promoting cancer and hormonal imbalances. Because of these health risks, individual fluorosurfactants have already been banned or strictly regulated. The toxicity of many other PFAS has not yet been adequately investigated.
Fluoropolymers exhibit an even greater chemical resistance than fluorosurfactants and are therefore considered somewhat less problematic. However, Müller points out: “It remains unclear whether these stable compounds will also break down into harmful substances in the distant future”.
Understanding PFAS:
A chemical classification
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetically produced organic compounds made up of different lengths of carbon chains, in which the hydrogen atoms are completely (perfluorinated) or partially (polyfluorinated) replaced by fluorine atoms. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) classifies any substance containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon-fluorine bond as a PFAS. The PubChem chemical database lists nearly seven million substances that meet this definition. It is estimated that more than 10,000 of these are in circulation. Although PFAS have widely differing properties, they are united by their extreme stability: they are difficult to degrade in the environment.
Chemical Structure of the
Two Most Common PFAS

Legal proceedings on the rise
For several years, an increasing number of PFAS-related claims have been brought before the court, especially in the USA. In addition to PFAS manufacturers, users of PFAS – including firefighting equipment suppliers, the textile and paper industry and consumer goods manufacturers – have also been affected. The legal proceedings are proving to be extremely complex. “It is the combination of their chemical resistance, ubiquitous usage and sometimes toxic properties that makes the liability risk associated with PFAS particularly challenging”, explains environmental lawyer Mirjam Büsch from Franßen & Nusser, a law firm specialising in product and environmental law.
Most claims relate to environmental damage caused by PFAS-containing substances that have ended up in the soil and water. PFAS producers, such as the American technology group 3M, have already had to defend themselves in court on multiple occasions. In 2022, the company reached an agreement with the Belgian authorities to pay 570 million euros for the clean-up of pollution in the soil around a PFAS plant. One year later, the group agreed to pay up to USD 12.5 billion to settle a dispute with water utilities in the USA. Not least due to the growing number of lawsuits, 3M has announced that it will discontinue all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025.
In the case of damage due to PFAS, it is often difficult to clearly identify the responsible party. At the same time, the causal link between the source and the damage is decisive when it comes to the matter of liability and compensation. In court, environmental assessments play a key role in tracing possible pathways. “Courts may also rely on presumptions of causation”, explains Büsch: for instance, if a PFAS processing plant is located nearby or if it is documented that a fire was fought using PFAS-containing extinguishing foam.
It is even more challenging to prove health consequences. “There is as yet no scientifically reliable traceability”, explains Müller. “Many PFAS are not acutely toxic but slowly accumulate in the body and can promote a wide variety of diseases”. Despite these uncertainties, initial judgements have been issued. The Swedish Supreme Court has determined that over 150 residents in the south of the country have sustained personal injury, solely on the basis of significantly elevated PFAS values in their blood. They had been drinking contaminated water for years and sued the municipal water company. Whether this gives rise to a claim for compensation remains to be seen in further proceedings.
One thing is certain: the more frequently measurements are taken, the stronger the causal links, and the more convincing correlations will be in the future. Furthermore, stricter guidelines improve the legal basis for compensation claims. A current proposal to adopt a ban on all PFAS was submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) by Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden in January 2023 and is causing quite a stir. The EU is now evaluating the implementation of the initiative within the framework of the EU Chemicals Regulation (REACH). The goal is to regulate the entire group of substances and to comprehensively replace PFAS. Wherever this is not yet possible, exceptions and transitional periods will be applied. Büsch states: “The ban will be examined on a sector-specific basis – but this will take some time due to the complex review process”.
How are PFAS regulated?
Worldwide
With the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 186 states worldwide are committed to regulating persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The international treaty entered into force on 17 May 2004. It also lists three subgroups of PFAS – PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS – whose use is prohibited barring a few exceptions.
Europe
The European Union has implemented the Stockholm Convention through the EU POP Regulation 2019/1021. However, it regulates some substances differently. There are also further specific EU regulations and national regulations that set bans, restrictions and maximum levels of PFAS in drinking water, bodies of water, food and packaging. Furthermore, several subgroups of PFAS are regulated in the EU by the REACH chemicals regulation. A comprehensive restriction procedure under REACH is currently underway that aims to largely ban all non-essential PFAS in the EU.
Implications for industry
A general ban on PFAS would have far-reaching consequences for the industry. Wherever PFAS perform essential functions, there is a threat of costly conversions, technological regression or even a halt in production. Orgalim, the European trade association representing the mechanical engineering, electronics and metalworking industries, warns that a blanket ban on the chemicals “would significantly impact on our industries’ ability to produce robust and reliable products”. After all, there simply are no alternatives yet in some sectors. Medical devices are one example. Here, PFAS are used in tubes, catheters and implants, among other things. Additionally, they play an important role in key technologies of the energy transition. They are found in the membranes of hydrogen fuel cells as well as in coatings for solar modules.
Müller predicts that more and more companies will withdraw from the production of PFAS in the long term. As a result, many products would disappear from the market or become considerably more expensive – and thus less attractive. “Some companies are switching to other PFAS variants, but many are also actively seeking out alternatives”, explains the scientist, who is developing substitutes at the Fraunhofer Institute.


A balancing act between risk and protection for insurers
The insurance industry is closely monitoring developments in the risks associated with PFAS, the growing number of lawsuits, and new regulations. There is increasing concern that PFAS cases could place enormous financial burdens on the balance sheets of insurers. The losses affect lines of business such as environmental, product and public liability as well as employers’ liability or D&O insurance.
“The greatest risk is posed by the contamination of the soil and water and the associated costly clean-up work”, says Anja Käfer-Rohrbach, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the German Insurance Association (GDV). Many of these pollutants have already been lurking in the soil for years – and often decades. Rising awareness is now steadily prompting authorities to carry out appropriate sampling based on experience, primarily in the vicinity of industrial estates or former military airbases, since relevant findings are often made in these areas.
To deal with difficult-to-estimate PFAS-related risks, two basic strategies are currently emerging in the insurance industry. The first involves retreating as an insurer and categorically excluding risks related to potential PFAS exposure – for fear of being becoming engaged in problematic claims scenarios. This is already the norm in the USA. Exclusions are also on the rise in Scandinavian countries. In the German-speaking world, by contrast, such general PFAS exclusions have not become standard practice in the primary and reinsurance market.
The strategy observed here relies on dialogue and a risk-based approach, which Deutsche Rück is also currently pursuing (see interview further below). Primary insurers identify potentially exposed individual risks among their clients and assess them on a case-by-case basis. An in-depth PFAS analysis, for example using questionnaires, is also necessary. The results form the basis for specifically addressing PFAS risks in individual policies or, if necessary, excluding them altogether.

The GDV has recently developed a model clause for dealing with PFAS. It initially excludes coverage of PFAS liability, but it also contains a clause stating that insurers and clients should agree on exceptions to this rule. For example, under what kinds of conditions and to what extent damages caused by PFAS can be insured. “Blanket exclusions would be the wrong approach”, stresses Käfer-Rohrbach. “Nevertheless, insurers have to limit their risk”. Her argument: “The more information industry provides, the sooner both sides can come together. And the sooner insurers will be able to provide the most optimal and extensive coverage possible”.
Good environmental damage reports, comprehensive safety measures and regular monitoring are also incorporated into the risk assessment. Büsch believes industry is on the right path in this regard: “Many companies are now handling PFAS far more responsibly than they were a few years ago and are investing in precautionary measures and plant safety”.
Not least, the GDV hopes that its clause will encourage industrial policyholders to replace PFAS with less harmful substances. After all, one thing is clear: dealing with PFAS will not become simpler in future and a significant reduction in their use is unavoidable in the long term.
Interview
“We are not only risk bearers, but also supporters of business”
Many primary insurers and reinsurers are engaging in dialogue with industry regarding PFAS. Thomas Schroer, Senior Manager in the Liability, Accident, Motor Lines Management department at Deutsche Rück, explains how a more responsible approach to the complex risk can succeed.
Many insurers compare PFAS with asbestos. What’s your view on that?
The comparison falls short, as there are fundamental differences. With asbestos, it is usually easy to track the source of the contamination. Moreover, pathologies such as asbestosis are clearly associated with the substance. In the case of PFAS, such attributions are still rarely possible. For some PFAS, however, the indications of causal relationships are so strong that it is likely to be only a matter of time until this changes.
How is Deutsche Rück dealing with the issue of PFAS?
We are taking the PFAS risk very seriously. We attend specialist events, keep ourselves informed about ongoing lawsuits and, above all, we are in regular dialogue with our clients, who in turn work together with various risk groups. We understand that there are varying degrees of PFAS exposure that require an individual response. Blanket exclusions may be warranted, especially for manufacturers and users of PFAS. In this respect, we expect a precise identification and description of the risk from our clients. For all other companies with limited or indirect exposure to PFAS, it should be considered whether and how such risks could be managed responsibly within the portfolio. One example could be manufacturers in the biotechnology sector. When new risks such as PFAS arise, our primary objective is not to exclude them, but to make them as insurable as possible. Ultimately, we are not only risk bearers, but also supporters of business.
What do such exclusion clauses look like in practice?
Before a risk is completely excluded, there are several possibilities to limit it. For example, an insurer could agree appropriately high deductibles or introduce a cap – such as by covering PFAS risks in principle, but only up to a certain amount. The targeted co-insurance of relatively unproblematic PFAS substances or certain product lines is also possible, as envisaged by the GDV approach. To place temporal restrictions on risks, existing contamination or clearly defined production periods could be excluded from insurance coverage. Businesses with a connection to the USA or Canada, such as direct exports to those countries, represent a special case. We regularly see special regulations concerning PFAS there – mostly in the form of exclusions.
How will the topic develop further?
With regard to industry, it would be desirable to significantly reduce the use of PFAS and find substitutes. For the insurance industry, it remains difficult to predict how the situation will develop. If major providers of primary insurance or reinsurance begin to exclude PFAS-related risks altogether, other insurers will likely follow, resulting in a domino effect. From a global perspective, we are already seeing that insurance coverage for PFAS-related liability is no longer available in certain regions. Despite this uncertainty, I believe that the odds are good for the risk-based approach that is favoured on the German market – provided that we exercise caution when dealing with the issue and protect ourselves as an industry with individually tailored policies.