Scientific Overview of PFAS and Drinking Water | AAAS EPI Center
pathways. However, exposure through drinking water may be higher in areas where PFAS are detected in source waters. People can be exposed to PFAS through the following exposure pathways: • Drinking water – Private wells, municipal water supplies, bottled water. • Consumer products – Food packaging, stain- and water-resistant clothing, carpets, and furniture. • Food consumption – Food enclosed with packaging containing PFAS, possibly in food grown where biosolids are applied or from animals exposed to PFAS. • Air emissions – Areas where air emissions or dust containing PFAS are present. • Occupational exposure – People working manufacturing jobs where PFAS are used or produced, firefighters, landfill operators, and PFAS-containing biosolids applicators. PFAS in Drinking Water Are Largely Unregulated in the United States There is currently no enforceable federal standard for PFAS in drinking water. The EPA is developing a regulatory determination for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water. The EPA considers several criteria during the regulatory determination process under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), including adverse health effects, occurrence, detection frequency, and treatability 26 . Research related to each of these criteria is ongoing. Therefore, it could be months or years before a federal regulatory determination is complete. Several states have set maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for drinking water, for as many as six PFAS compounds, and others are in the process. The regulatory process discussed below applies to the drinking water sector. EPA Required Public Water Systems to Gather Data on PFAS Published by the EPA every five years, the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) requires certain public drinking water systems, primarily those that serve more than 10,000 individuals, to sample the water they distribute for up to 30 contaminants that are not federally regulated. UCMR contaminants are generally considered to be emerging contaminants, such as PFAS. Key provisions of the UCMR, including contaminants sampled and results, can be found on the EPA’s website 27 . UCMR 3 was conducted from 2013 to 2015 and included sampling for six PFAS — PFOS, PFOA, PFBS, PFHxS, PFHpA, and PFNA. PFOS and PFOA were detected in 1.9% and 2.4% of public water systems, respectively. However, select water systems were tested and only these six PFAS were measured. Reporting limits during testing were relatively high (10 to 90 ng/L) compared to current analytical capabilities; therefore, PFAS reported as “not detected” could still be present but at levels below the historical reporting limits. UCMR 4, conducted from 2018-2020, did not include any PFAS. UCMR 5, to be conducted from 2022 to 2026, will include additional PFAS. The list is still being finalized, but the current plan is for 29 of the 30 contaminants in UCMR 5 to be PFAS. UCMR 5 will also include additional water systems that were not included in UCMR 3. It is expected to provide information related to additional PFAS occurrence and exposure.
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