The connection between PFAS and Data Centers
A recent Guardian article explains, “data centers increase PFAS pollution directly and indirectly. The chemicals are needed in the centers’ operations – such as its cooling equipment – which almost certainly leads to some on-site pollution. Meanwhile, Pfas used in the equipment housed in the centers must be disposed of, which is difficult because the chemicals cannot be fully destroyed. Meanwhile, a large quantity of Pfas are used to produce the semiconductors housed in datacenters, which will increase pollution around supporting manufacturing plants.”
Currently, companies are not required to record the amount of PFAS chemicals they are using or discharging. The chemicals are added to the cooling process, and then discharged out into the community the data center is housed in.
Despite the urgency experts are expressing about the need to reduce PFAS in our environment, the government and tech giants are determined to continue pushing these developments on our communities.
Chemours, a chemical giant wants to expand its plants in the US to meet the surging demand of forever chemicals for AI data centers. Both of the plants they’re looking to expand have “a long history of polluting the surrounding environment with PFAS, which accumulate in water and soil and are linked to cancer, reduced fertility, kidney damage and other human health problems.”
Our environment and the health of our residents is at a very fragile place, where we need to make a serious push to completely phase out these chemicals, conserve water, and create cleaner energy. Locally, statewide, on a federal and even a global level, we need to work together to protect our health and our climate from a very small group of wealthy people looking to preserve their profits.
More about PFAS:
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