PFAS What is true?

We have noticed that in addition to questions, there are also many misunderstandings about PFAS at Schiphol. We correct several of those misunderstandings on this page.

Is there PFAS in deicing fluid?

There are no PFAS in deicing fluid. The PFAS at Schiphol is mainly due to the use of firefighting foam.

Is all the soil at Schiphol contaminated with PFAS?

No. At Schiphol, PFAS contamination mainly occurs at locations that have a link to firefighting foam. These include fire stations, fire training areas and locations where incidents took place. Outside those areas, PFAS are not found in higher concentrations than in the rest of the Netherlands.

Are the bricks made of PFAS-containing soil going to be baked at Schiphol?

We didn't do the brick-baking tests at Schiphol. You need special facilities for that. And if we are going to bake larger amounts of bricks, it will take place at a different location, at a brick producer and not at Schiphol. Brick producers have the necessary large kilns and facilities for this. The next test step of baking larger numbers of bricks can only be taken when sufficient sludge is available. So, the soil treatment facility must first be operational. That is expected to be in 2025.

Does the soil treatment facility work with Schiphol's clayey soil?

The soil treatment facility works according to a commonly used technique, but with an adapted cleaning process especially for soil containing PFAS. To make sure it works for our own clayey soil, we have done extensive testing with independent experts. Our soil contains an average of 20% clay. The facility can handle up to 40%. The laboratory tests and the previous test cleaning with 1013 tonnes of soil in Belgium gave a positive result.

Is there no EIA required for the soil treatment facility?

In some reports you will read that an environmental impact assessment (EIA, or MER in Dutch) is needed for the soil treatment facility. It is claimed that the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) recommended an EIA, but that is not true.

The soil treatment facility is subject to an EIA review requirement but there is no direct EIA obligation. Because of the requirement to carry out an EIA review, Schiphol drew up an EIA notification and submitted it to the Environment Agency for assessment. Based on the EIA notification, the Environment Agency has decided that an EIA does not need to be drawn up.

In a letter of advice to the Environment Agency, the ILT has confirmed that there is no direct EIA obligation and that the assessment of the EIA notification is up to the Environment Agency.