Just as linen and uniform services were caught as the century began in environmentalists’ drive to prevent even insignificant amounts of nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) in industrial wastewater discharges, another trap may materialize. It’s the likely unfounded concern that per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are discharged from uniform services in significant amounts. Speculation regarding PFAS and industrial laundries has arisen in Michigan, where the city of Flint’s drinking-water woes—based on pollution from lead pipes—have heightened concerns about any potential source of contamination of the public supply.

A 2018 guidance from the state Department of Water Quality, written in frequently-answered question (FAQ) ...