Resources to Support the EPA’s Proposed First-Ever PFAS National Drinking Water Standard

Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the nation’s first-ever national drinking water standard for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. EPA reports that through this action, it is taking a major step towards protecting public health from PFAS pollution, complementing state efforts to limit PFAS by proposing to establish legally enforceable levels for six PFAS known to occur in drinking water.

PFAS are described by the agency as a group of man-made chemicals that include PFOA, PFOS, GenX and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and can accumulate over time. EPA also states that there is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.

“PFAS can be found in so many commonly-used household products including stain- and water-resistant fabrics, nonstick products like Teflon, polishes, cleaning products and fire-fighting foams,” said Jeff Bannon, PG, Vice President of Environmental Services at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “They are also commonly associated with certain industries and facilities such as chrome plating, electronics manufacturing, oil recovery, landfills, wastewater treatment and firefighter training facilities.”

According to the EPA announcement, the proposal, if finalized, would regulate PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants, and will regulate four other PFAS – PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals – as a mixture.

• PFOA and PFOS: EPA is proposing to regulate PFOA and PFOS at a level they can be reliably measured at 4 parts per trillion.
• PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals: EPA is proposing a regulation to limit any mixture containing one or more of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and/or GenX Chemicals. For these PFAS, water systems would use an established approach called a hazard index calculation, defined in the proposed rule, to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk.

“To help protect against exposure to PFAS, the environmental and industrial hygiene professionals at CSC offer testing, consulting and monitoring services for these and many other potential contaminants,” Mr. Bannon added. “Our experts are available to help companies, water utilities and regulatory agencies identify PFAS contamination to protect the public and assist with health and safety compliance efforts.”

Several years ago, CSC sponsored an educational video about PFAS and potential exposure risks that can still be seen at: https://youtu.be/skLIprCGeX4

To learn more about PFAS testing or other environmental, occupational, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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