AI boom and new questions about data centers

Public interest groups and environmental lawyers warn that the rapid buildout of infrastructure for artificial intelligence may be masking another environmental risk. In their view, data centers can become a source of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination due to the use of fluorinated gases and materials in cooling systems and the equipment itself.

The central concern comes down to the fact that the issue is developing faster than verifiable data is emerging. Activists point to a lack of sampling and limited transparency in reporting on how much of these substances are used and where they end up during operation and disposal.

Energy and water and entertainment are already on the agenda, now chemistry has been added

Data centers have previously been criticized for power consumption, which is growing along with digital services and the training of AI models. In the United States, there have been accusations that peak loads could slow the transition to clean energy and keep fossil-fueled power plants operating.

A separate line of disputes is related to water. Large sites with server equipment consume significant volumes for cooling, and in arid regions this becomes a politically sensitive issue. Now, in addition to energy and water complaints, they are adding possible PFAS contamination, which is less visible and harder to capture in a single headline number.

The situation is compounded by the accelerating adoption of AI, which requires increasingly intensive operation of data centers. AI is used in medicine and finance, education and creativity. Even the entertainment sector requires the use of artificial intelligence. As an example of a segment where demand for AI has become explosive, experts often cite iGaming and other entertainment areas.

Artificial intelligence is actively used in fraud prevention mechanisms, in game creation, and even in customer service. We found that virtually all major online casinos use AI chatbots. This was confirmed by data from a no-deposit bonuses website from a top search result, available if tap here. Virtually all online casinos on its list work with AI bots, and these are well-known brands. And many such examples can be given in the entertainment segment. AI is used in film, games, and music.

AI use has also intensified in industrial sectors, from agriculture to mechanical engineering. At the same time, all processes are very resource-intensive, so the problem of PFAS contamination, as environmentalists believe, will only become more serious.

PFAS, fluorinated gases, and TFA why data centers have been linked to them

PFAS are a large group of roughly 16,000 synthetic compounds that do not break down easily in the environment and are therefore often called forever chemicals. They are associated with increased health risks, including certain cancers, developmental disorders, immune suppression, high cholesterol, and kidney disease, while causal relationships depend on the specific substance and dose.

In data centers, activists draw attention to fluorinated gases, also called F-gases. Some of these gases are potent greenhouse gases and can persist in the atmosphere for a very long time. A separate node of the discussion is related to TFA (trifluoroacetic acid), into which some fluorinated gases can transform in the atmosphere. In many countries, TFA is classified as a PFAS; in the United States, the classification is disputed, which affects regulatory approaches and the language of reporting.

Data gaps and possible contamination pathways

Measurements of PFAS in air and water around data centers, activists claim, have hardly been conducted, and individual studies do not provide a clear picture across regions and technology types.

Companies are not required to publicly disclose the volumes of use of such substances and possible emissions or discharges, so assessments of scale are often built on indirect indicators and industry documents.

Long-term consequences for ecology and health have been insufficiently studied. Risks are assessed fragmentarily for individual substances rather than for the cumulative burden, which can accumulate through different sources.

Environmentalists describe several channels through which data centers may add PFAS to the environment:

• Direct use of PFAS-containing substances on site, including cooling loops and certain materials
• Leaks during operation and during maintenance
• Handling and disposal of the refrigerant at the end of the equipment’s service life
• Outgassing from cables, pipelines, and electrical equipment, since some compounds are volatile and can transfer into the air
• Indirect contribution through semiconductor production, where PFAS are used in large volumes and contamination is concentrated around factories

Water cooling and two-phase designs change the risk profile

With water cooling, a large volume of water is required for heat removal. Chemicals may be used in the loop, including nitrates, disinfectants, azoles, and other additives. The risk of release into the environment arises through leaks and discharges. It then comes down to control, monitoring, and treatment, as well as the availability of data on the composition of additives.

In parallel, interest in two-phase systems is growing. The principle is that a refrigerant based on a fluorinated gas circulates through copper tubing and transfers heat via a phase change. Less water is consumed, but dependence on the refrigerant itself increases. Possible emissions are associated with leaks and maintenance operations. At end of life, disposal or recycling is required, and during handling the risk of losses remains.

Some fluorinated gases have high global warming potential and a long atmospheric lifetime. At the same time, some of them can transform into TFA. Studies in recent years have recorded an increase in TFA in air, water, and biota, and warnings have been raised that toxicity may be higher than expected and effects on reproductive systems are possible. The industry counters that conversion to TFA reduces the risks, but scientists and activists dispute that interpretation and point to an underestimation of risks and to differences in the classification of TFA in the United States and beyond.

Regulators, the industry’s position, and regional cases

Major data center operators, including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, are cited as key market players, and industry representatives claim that the use of fluorinated gases results in minimal contamination. Concern among public interest groups was heightened by a statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about its intention to expedite review of new PFAS and related chemicals for use in data centers. In parallel, some groups are promoting ideas for mandatory reporting at the state level.

Earthjustice environmental lawyer Jonathan Kalmuss Katz frames the problem this way. “We know PFAS are in these centers, and it all ends up somewhere anyway. This issue is dangerously under-studied, and there is not enough information about what the long-term consequences will be,” he said. The political backdrop complicates the debate, as the United States seeks to outpace China in AI, capacity is being built out rapidly, and there is little appetite for strict pollution limits.

Lenny Siegel, a representative of Chips Communities United, describes this as a race with no built-in guardrails. “The United States and China are competing over who can destroy the environment faster. With a reasonable approach, someone should have provided answers before these systems are deployed and begin to be used,” he noted.

Closer to the end of the life cycle, another problem emerges, electronic waste (e-waste). Frequent upgrades make data centers a major generator of e-waste, and dismantled equipment and PFAS waste can end up in landfills with a risk of water contamination or be sent for incineration, which does not guarantee complete destruction of PFAS and can produce byproducts with uncertain risks. “Data centers are a huge generator of electronic waste, upgrades happen often. Recycling and disposal of e-waste is a major source of global harm,” said Bend the Curve founder Mike Belliview.

As an illustration of the supply chain, activists point to the fluorinated gas manufacturer Chemours. The company links the AI boom and the growth of data centers with plans to ramp up production at plants in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and in Fayetteville, North Carolina. These sites were previously accused of contaminating water, soil, and air and of degrading drinking water quality, and local residents reported health problems and opposed the expansion.

A separate story is unfolding in Minnesota. A coalition of environmental organizations together with lawmakers is preparing an initiative that will require companies to disclose the use of PFAS and other chemicals used in cooling. At hearings, they ask what substances are used, how they are disposed of, and where leaks or discharges may occur. According to Avonna Stark, head of Clean Water Action in the state, the industry’s answers are unconvincing. “At hearings, lawmakers ask companies what chemicals are used and how they are disposed of, but the answers are unsatisfactory. There’s simply too much you don’t know, and it all depends on what large corporations are willing to tell,” she said.