EPA Limits Forever Chemicals with First-Ever PFAS National Drinking Water Standard

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the first national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Commonly referred to as forever chemicals, exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children.

According to the agency:
EPA is taking a signature step to protect public health by establishing legally enforceable levels for several PFAS known to occur individually and as mixtures in drinking water.

The EPA has established limits for 5 individual PFAS types, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (GenX Chemicals). PFOA has a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 4.0 ppt, PFOS MCL of 4.0 ppt, PFNA MCL of 10ppt, PFHxS MCL of 10 ppt, and HFPO-DA MCL of 10 ppt. Additionally, the EPA has established a hazard index level for PFAS mixtures, the MCL is a hazard index of 1.

Public water systems have to complete initial monitoring by 2027. They are required to inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water, and where PFAS is found at levels that exceed these standards, systems must implement solutions to reduce them in their drinking water within five years.

An estimated 6% to 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. that are subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet the new standards. EPA also announced almost $1 billion in funding to help states and territories implement testing and treatment at public water systems and to help private well owners address PFAS contamination.

“PFAS exposure can occur from not only drinking contaminated water, but also from eating contaminated foods, and even breathing air in facilities that manufacture goods made with these chemicals,” said Frank Selamie, President of CTSI. “To help protect against exposure to PFAS, the environmental and industrial hygiene professionals at CTSI offer testing, consulting, and monitoring services for PFAS and many other chemical contaminants. These services are available to help companies, water utilities, and regulatory agencies identify PFAS exposure risks and comply with health and safety regulations.”

To learn more about CTSI and their industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.ctsiweb.com, email contactus@ctsiweb.com , or call (212) 971-7016.

About CTSI
Established in 1992, Consulting & Testing Services, Inc. (CTSI) was founded on one strong commitment: to provide efficient and expert services to clients based on professionalism, innovation, and cost-effective expert solutions. This commitment has been furthered with CTSI’s reputation in fostering client relationships in all sectors of the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Construction industries. CTSI prides itself in utilizing a high quality service based on its diverse team of staff and professionals’ concise recommendations and solutions to the most pressing dilemmas. The company operates offices in New York and Florida that service clients across the United States.

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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