News/Media

PFAS – New Proposed Standards

July 9th, 2019

On June 28, NHDES filed a final rulemaking proposal to establish Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLS)/drinking water standards and Ambient Groundwater Quality Standards (AGQS) for Per- and Polyfluoralkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS. These standards are much stricter than existing guidelines for PFAS.

Regulations

Currently, there are no federal regulations for PFAS in drinking and surface water. However, the USEPA has released a PFAS Action Plan and Health Advisory and is pursuing an MCL, a hazardous substance listing, and cleanup recommendations for PFOS and PFOA.

Individual states are developing their own standards and guidelines to address PFAS. Until this new proposal, New Hampshire had adopted USEPA’s health advisory for PFOA and PFOS of 70 ppt individually or combined. To establish more stringent MCLs for PFAS, NHDES had to consider the extent to which the contaminants are found in New Hampshire, the ability to detect them in public water systems, the ability to remove the contaminant from drinking water, and the costs and benefits to affected parties that will result from establishing the standard, and then develop a standard for each compound that is protective of the most sensitive population at all life stages. This process is described in a report summarized here.

What are PFAS?

PFAS, are a family of thousands of man-made fluorinated organic chemicals developed in the 1950s to make products that were resistant to heat, stains, grease, and water such as non-stick pans, umbrellas, and fire fighting foam. Research has shown probable links between PFAS exposure and cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, neurological problems in children, and pregnancy induced hypertension.