Data centers are swapping water for forever chemicals to keep AI cool

The midterms are six weeks away and Republicans are walking a fine line between meeting constituents in opposition to data center growth and agreeing with the president who continues to advocate for them.

Now there seems to be another wrinkle to the ongoing data center backlash: the release of “forever chemicals” into the air.

A new report from chemical watchdog ChemSec found that most of the world’s biggest PFAS producers are expanding their capacity thanks to AI infrastructure.

PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are being used to handle the enormous amounts of heat generated from data center equipment.

The report found that major chemical producers—including Japanese conglomerate Daikin, French materials manufacturing company Arkema and American chemical company Chemours—are increasing PFAS production thanks to growing demand from semiconductor and data center industries.

This stems from three main demand sources: data center cooling, semiconductor manufacturing and lithium-ion battery materials.

It seems to be a catch-22 from a noted criticism of data centers: water usage.

Newer cooling systems in these facilities are using fluorinated chemicals that include PFAS instead of water.

The world’s biggest makers of “forever chemicals” pulled in roughly $4 billion in profit in 2022, against an estimated $17.5 trillion a year in societal costs—healthcare, cleanup, contaminated water—according to an earlier 2023 analysis by ChemSec.

Thanks to the AI boom spurring data center development , the need to mitigate the effects of heat stemming from equipment may also drive up that demand for PFAS.

This, while data center development continues growing: a 2026 study from the commercial real estate trade association BOMA found data center facilities accounted for nearly 46% of private construction last year, compared to less than 5% a decade ago.

The actual dollar value of data construction spending exploded as well: from $1.8 billion in 2014 to $41.1 billion last year, per Statista. https://www.datawrapper.de/_/is2pv The materials needed in the AI race “Forever chemicals” are highly resistant to heat.

That makes the chemical-bonded substances particularly useful in many common consumer products such as food packaging , stain-resistant sprays and firefighting foam.

Due to the strong chemical bond of PFAS, it doesn’t degrade easily—making it dangerous for both humans and nature when exposed.