This article is vague about which per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were made at the Zwijndrecht factory. After some digging, I believe it's chemicals

This article is vague about which per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were made at the Zwijndrecht factory. After some digging, I believe it's chemicals in 3M's Novec and Fluorinert product lines: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/data-center-us/applications/immersion-cooling/fluorinert-electronic-liquids/ https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/data-center-us/applications/imme... https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/c/b/novec/i/electronics/ https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/c/b/novec/i/electronics/ (Specifically, the "engineered fluids"). What was desirable about these chemicals in the first place? Looking at a specific Novec product page: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40044867/ https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40044867/ This liquid: - Is non-flammable - Is electrically non-conductive - Is compatible with plastics - Has zero ozone depletion potential - Has low acute toxicity - Has low global warming potential - Is a VOC-exempt solvent [1] Here's what 3M says about Fluorinert for semiconductor manufacturing: Semiconductor manufacturing requires precision. Very small temperature variations may have big impact on yield. Compared to aqueous coolants like deionized water, Fluorinert electronic liquids offer wider operating temperatures, require less maintenance and will not damage electronic equipment or wafers if a leak occurs. These products offered lower environmental and health hazards on the then-known dimensions of risk when they were introduced to the market. But the risk assessment has changed as the chronic endocrine disrupting effects of these chemicals (and/or their manufacturing byproducts) has become better understood and regulated. In the long term I don't know whether semiconductor manufacturing processes will substitute deionized water for Fluorinert (with the downsides mentioned above, but zero environmental/health risk) or if Fluorinert use will continue with heightened emphasis on preventing releases into the environment. Semiconductor manufacturing already uses some very toxic materials like hydrofluoric acid and phosphine, but with correspondingly stringent guards against worker exposure. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VOC_exempt_solvent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VOC_exempt_solvent