on PFAS FOCUS

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) is a hot topic in the news right now and I hope it stays that way. Environmental engineers have understood the dangers of this chemical for some time. Fuss & O’Neill even has an Emerging Contaminants Taskforce dedicated to providing ongoing analysis and an up-to-date understanding of current investigative and treatment strategies regarding contaminants of emerging concern.

This past summer, the U.S. EPA issued four interim drinking water health advisories to update their 2016 advisories for PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water. The 2016 guidelines set health risk thresholds to 70 parts per trillion. Last summer’s advisories, which are based on new scientific evidence and consider lifetime exposure, set the interim lifetime non-cancer health advisories (iHA) to 0.004 parts per trillion for PFOA and 0.02 parts per trillion for PFOS. This is a substantial change that reflects the EPA’s stance that some negative health effects may occur with concentrations of PFOA or PFOS in water that are near zero and that are below EPA’s ability to detect at this time. This decrease in recommended exposure levels is to protect the public’s health.

More recently, the EPA has proposed to designate two PFAS [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)], including their salts and structural isomers, as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. This proposed rulemaking would increase transparency around releases of these harmful chemicals and help to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.

Regardless of the designation, Fuss & O’Neill’s Emerging Contaminants Taskforce will continue to stay up-to-date on removal strategies and cleanup activities. We shall continue to advocate for public health and will help our clients develop best management practices and/or engineered solutions to reduce risk to PFAS exposure.

For more information, please contact:

Brent Henebry, LEP Emerging Contaminants Taskforce Director 860-783-4649

bhenebry@fando.com

WHAT ARE PFAS?

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are groupings of thousands of fluorine-containing chemicals that are resistant to heat, water, and petroleum products. These attributes make products that are stain- and water-resistant and fire retardant. For decades, PFAS have been used in industrial applications and consumer products.

Examples include:

∞ firefighting and the use of fire-suppressant foam (e.g., aqueous Class B, film-forming foam, AFFF)

∞ chemical manufacturing

∞ surface finishing and treatment of metals, paper, textiles, or durable goods (e.g., leather)

∞ mist suppressant in metal plating baths, especially chromium plating processes

∞ paints and adhesives

∞ waxes and surfactants (detergents)

∞ food-grade non-stick coatings (i.e., TeflonTM)

∞ personal care products (e.g., cosmetics, soaps, shampoos)

∞ fluorocarbon-based synthetic rubber (e.g., gaskets, O-rings, hoses)

∞ points of transfer (e.g., rail yards) and disposal (e.g., landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, composting facilities, biosolids disposal, or land application areas)

Based on the nature of emerging contaminants, it is likely that additional uses will be identified.