The nonprofit organization ChemSec reports that the growth of the AI industry is driving an increase in the production of PFAS chemicals. These substances are essential for semiconductor manufacturing and the development of advanced cooling systems for high-density GPU clusters.
Chemours is currently expanding its production capacity at facilities located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Parkersburg, West Virginia. The company markets products such as Teflon PFA and Opteon 2P50 for use in chip fabrication and data center cooling fluids.
The global market for PFAS is valued at approximately $28 billion. While some companies like 3M and Ecolab have announced plans to reduce or exit PFAS manufacturing, others are increasing their output to meet the rising demand from the technology sector.
In its 2025 ChemScore report, ChemSec assigned a score of zero to Chemours regarding transparency and efforts to phase out hazardous substances. Environmental groups have raised concerns about the impact of expanding production at existing sites.
Regulatory pressure is increasing as the European Union considers broad restrictions on thousands of substances. Simultaneously, the US Environmental Protection Agency is tightening drinking water standards, which affects the costs and oversight of new chemical production.
