EPA PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Rule Establishes Limits on Certain Forever Chemicals
PFAS, a generic abbreviation of over 3,000 synthetic organic compounds containing fluorine, are detected just about everywhere--impacting the food chain and drinking water. PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they have been bioaccumulating since the 1940s when first used in clothes, paper, electronics, cookware, and fire-fighting foam. PFAS applications continued to expand to include grease proofing coatings in pizza boxes, popcorn bags and other paper food packaging. Since the summer of 2020, the Food and Drug Administration has been encouraging industry to voluntarily phase out certain PFAS compounds from food packaging use, building on its earlier efforts in 2011 to phase out food contact with some PFAS compounds.
EPA’s Final Rule establishes drinking water limits on five PFAS compounds plus compound mixtures. The enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) are 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX Chemicals). A mixture of certain types of PFAS compounds is subject to an MCL (also in parts per trillion) derived from a fraction analysis of the health-based water concentrations based on the Hazard Index approach.
Based on recent sampling conducted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, over 20 Indiana counties had PFAS detected in drinking water. Under the rule, water systems are required to have initial monitoring completed within three years and then within five years, must implement solutions to reduce PFAS in the drinking water. Starting in 2029, water systems are expected to comply with the MCLs.