Fluoride lubrication can be harmful to both health and the environment. This winter, the ski lubrication manufacturer has had an ongoing campaign to overcome the problem they themselves have helped to create. The campaign went better than expected. – We are very surprised. Our goal was 2000 submissions, but it was multiplied by a total of 7,500, says Kristoffer Kirkeby who is store manager in Blåswix Lillehammer. In exchange, you received a gift card of 500 kroner per delivery. Thus, the fundraising campaign has cost Swix around 3,750,000 kroner. GLIDE IN: Kristoffer Kirkeby thinks the background for the enormous response is both that people care about the environment, and of course that they could imagine a gift card. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news Can be fatal Earlier this year, a final decision was made by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the EU Commission. They do not want fluoride lubrication to be used in any of their branches. The fluorides we have lubricated skis with for decades are so harmful to health and the environment that they cannot be used, and must be recycled properly so as not to create problems later. What does fluoride do to us? What we have long referred to as fluoride in ski lubrication is a selection of 4000 toxic fluorides. They go by the collective name PFAS. Only a few of the toxic substances have so far been made illegal. The fabrics are extremely stable and can withstand high heat. This means that it takes a long time before they are excreted by animals and humans, and that it can lie in nature for several thousand years. The whole body is affected by the substances. The brain, liver, hormone and immune system and cholesterol levels are among those affected. The effects of the last three are best documented. Studies show that it increases the risk of cancer. Research on PFASs has been going on for a long time and researchers have long been aware of the side effects. It has many of the same effects in animals. In addition, reproduction is affected. The substances can accumulate in animals over time since they are excreted very slowly. This means that it moves upwards in the food chain and accumulates to a greater extent. Now everything that Swix has collected is sent to Glør, a waste disposal company in Lillehammer. Here it must be handled properly, so that it disappears for good. – We put on protective equipment, receive fluorinated waste and pack it together in cans made for hazardous waste, says safety adviser at Glør, Erik André Opphus. From here it takes the road to Norsk Gjenvinning, which sends it to a reception center with stoves that can be extremely hot. The fluorine substances must be burned at a very high temperature in order to no longer be harmful, he explains. COSTS PORK: A lubrication box with fluoride can cost 1,500 kroner. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news – Do not throw it in the trash Researcher Randi Grønnestad, who wrote her doctorate on fluoride’s effect on climbing mice, emphasizes the importance of getting rid of the products in a proper way. – Do not just throw it in the trash, because then it ends up in nature in the end. There they can lie for several thousand years in nature, where it affects animals and plants, says Grønnestad. Humans mainly ingest fluorides through heat treatment when we lubricate skis. STRONG FLUOR: PFAS (the fluorides) survive most and it takes a very long time before they are excreted by animals and humans, says Randi Grønnestad. Photo: NTNU The gas from the steam penetrates us, and can be dangerous. – Studies show that it increases the risk of cancer. In addition, it affects the brain, liver and digestion, she says. The best documented is the effect it has on cholesterol levels, the immune and hormonal systems. Weak efforts Opphus in Glør says that private individuals do not deliver any particular fluoride products on their own and points out the importance of attitude campaigns. – I think that most Norwegians choose to use up the lubrication rather than deliver it for recycling and it is precisely when heating that fluorine is most dangerous, Opphus emphasizes. He adds that campaigns such as Swix (Brav) had earlier this year are very important for collecting fluoride. SPECIAL TREATMENT: The fluorine substances are only lost in furnaces with very high heat, says Erik André Opphus, who has handled hazardous waste for almost 25 years. Photo: Glør / Glør The store manager at Swix Lillehammer emphasizes that their collection is just the beginning and says that there is still a long way to go. – There is still a lot of fluoride left in the cupboards and stalls of Norwegians. But it is a good start and a step in the right direction, says Kirkeby. The store manager points out that it is a win-win for both the environment and customers that we get this recycled properly. Not too late If you are one of the many with lubrication on the house or cottage, fear not. Swix still accepts lubrication both directly and on their website. – We are happy to accept products, but you will no longer receive a gift card for the submissions, says Kirkeby. He wants us to keep in mind that recycling stations also accept from private individuals, so just deliver there as well. He says that the three-month campaign, which ended on May 1, was in great demand. – It has been a long-awaited. We stopped selling fluoride products in 2018 and customers have struggled to get this offer started. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news
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Swix collected all toxic fluorine ski lubrication for Lillehammer in the Inland, now it will be burned – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
