Scientific Overview of PFAS and Drinking Water | AAAS EPI Center
Overview of Current PFAS Research Extensive research is being conducted by scientists in universities, government agencies, and the private sector to better understand PFAS occurrence, transport, detection, toxicity, exposure, and treatability. These agencies include DoD, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), EPA, and others 26,35,36 . To fulfill the goals laid out in its PFAS Action Plan, the EPA is continuing to conduct research related to PFAS detection in water, wastewater, landfill leachate, air emissions, soils, and other matrices. In September 2019, the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) announced the start of a study to investigate the health effects from PFAS-contaminated drinking water, which is the first study to look at health effects from PFAS at multiple sites across the U.S. 37 Additionally, several other programs are underway. For example, the Sources, Transport, Exposure and Effects of PFASs (STEEP) Superfund Research Program, headed by the University of Rhode Island, is directly addressing the human exposure pathways by fingerprinting drinking water and fish 38 . Key Takeaways After decades of use in everything from clothing to firefighting foam, PFAS are ubiquitous in the environment. As concern over PFAS contamination of drinking water grows, not enough is known about the adverse health impacts of most PFAS. Research continues to reveal more about PFAS toxicity and fate in the environment. • PFAS enter the environment from numerous sources and have been detected in drinking water sources throughout the U.S. • PFAS are difficult to remove from drinking water sources because of their unique chemical properties, particularly their persistence in the environment, mobility in water systems, and potential for bioaccumulation. • PFAS have been detected in treated drinking water at ng/L (ppt) levels. • PFOA and PFOS are known to cause adverse health impacts at these low levels, and research related to health impacts of an increased number of PFAS is ongoing. • Federal regulations for PFAS in drinking water do not currently exist, but the EPA is in the process of deciding whether to establish enforceable standards (i.e., MCLs) for PFOS and PFOA levels in public drinking water. • Some states have set advisory guidelines or MCLs for various PFAS or groups of PFAS in public drinking water. • Research related to PFAS contamination is ongoing and has significantly advanced our understanding of PFAS health impacts and best practices for the prevention of future PFAS contamination, mitigation of existing contamination, and treatment of PFAS in drinking water. However, many unknowns remain, and extensive research is underway to address these unknowns.
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