“Rice, vegetables, and freshwater fish are being distributed...” Seventeen types of PFAS, the ‘zombie chemicals,’ detected in effluent from the Godeok Industrial Complex that houses Samsung Electronics - 경향신문

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On the 19th, at the office of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement in Jongno-gu, Seoul, representatives of environmental groups, including the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement and the Institute for Labor, Environment and Health, hold a press conference to announce analysis results of effluent from the wastewater treatment plant at the Godeok Industrial Complex located at Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek Campus. Jeong Hyo-jin, reporter

According to an investigation by environmental groups, 17 types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as the ‘forever chemicals,’ were detected in effluent from the wastewater treatment plant at the Godeok Industrial Complex in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The groups called for stronger government monitoring of industrial complex wastewater, disclosure of discharge information by companies, and measures to reduce discharge volumes.

The Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, the Seopyeongtaek Environmental Committee, Pyeongtaek Environmental Action, and the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement held a press conference on the 19th at the federation’s office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and announced the results of PFAS analysis conducted on effluent from the Godeok Industrial Complex wastewater treatment plant. The groups stated that they collected effluent samples on the 17th of last month and commissioned analysis from the Pusan National University Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation, and that 17 out of 43 target PFAS were detected.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals composed of strong carbonfluorine bonds that hardly degrade in nature and accumulate in the environment and the human body over long periods, hence the name ‘forever chemicals.’ Because they are heat resistant and repel water and oil, they are widely used not only in industrial processes such as automobiles and semiconductors but also in food packaging and coated products. There are about 10,000 known types, and for some PFAS, human health hazards such as carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity have been confirmed. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as Group 1, a carcinogen to humans, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans. The European Union is pushing to broadly restrict PFAS use.

The simple sum of the concentrations of the 17 PFAS detected in this survey was 9008 ng per 1ℓ. By 1ℓ, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) was highest at 4240 ng, followed by perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) at 1830 ng, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) at 1200 ng, and perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) at 695 ng. PFOA was detected at 339 ng per 1ℓ, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) at 239 ng, and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) at 138 ng.

Choi In-ja, head of the Biomonitoring Center at the Institute for Labor, Environment and Health, said, “The characteristics of PFAS are persistence, mobility, and toxicity,” adding, “Once released to the outside, they do not readily degrade, so concentrations keep rising, and concerns about impacts on the environment and people inevitably grow.”

At present, South Korea has not established discharge limits for PFAS contained in industrial wastewater. For drinking water, three PFASPFOA, PFOS, and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)are designated and managed as water quality monitoring items. Environmental groups pointed out that under the existing framework, which manages a few representative substances, it is difficult to grasp the realities of the diverse PFAS released from industrial sites.

Kim Hoon, co-representative of Pyeongtaek Environmental Action, said, “Water discharged from the Godeok Industrial Complex gathers in Pyeongtaek Lake along the Anseongcheon stream, and water from the Pyeongtaek Lake and Anseongcheon system is used as agricultural water in Pyeongtaek, Anseong, Asan, and Cheonan,” adding, “Rice and vegetables, as well as freshwater fish produced in these areas, are distributed nationwide. Thoroughly managing PFAS is about ensuring safe food for the public.”

The groups urged authorities to investigate a wide range of PFAS at industrial complexes and wastewater treatment facilities, and to expand the scope of surveys to water systems near outfalls and to major intake and use points to identify transport pathways and the extent of spread. They also demanded that companies disclose the types and amounts of PFAS and their treatment methods, and draw up emission-reduction plans through process improvements and upgrades to treatment technologies.

The groups argued that the same problem could be repeated in new semiconductor industrial complexes being promoted by the government, and that PFAS use and discharge and the removal capacity of wastewater treatment facilities should be verified in advance for the Yongin semiconductor industrial complex and for new semiconductor industrial complexes to be pursued as part of the ‘Three Major Megaprojects.’ Kim Jae-hong, youth chair of the Gyeonggi-do Association of Eco-friendly Farmers, said, “This is not about opposing the development of the semiconductor industry, but about ensuring that industrial development is not pursued in a way that sacrifices human health, farmers livelihoods, and the local environment.”

This survey confirmed PFAS concentrations in effluent from the wastewater treatment plant and did not determine which substances specific companies discharged or whether contamination occurred in nearby rivers and agricultural products. The groups explained that because this was an analysis of samples taken at a single point in time, it is difficult to directly judge any legal violations by specific companies, health damage to residents, or the overall level of river contamination.

The Godeok Industrial Complex is a large semiconductor production base that houses many companies, including Samsung Electronics. On the same day, Samsung Electronics stated, “Samsung Electronics does not directly use as raw or subsidiary materials the three major PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS) that are regulated internationally,” and “Even in the absence of specific regulations on effluent, we have secured reduction technology and plan to apply it step by step at the Pyeongtaek site starting next year.”