The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently took another key step in implementing the agency’s PFAS Action Plan by announcing a new validated method for testing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The agency also issued its Interim Recommendations for Addressing Groundwater Contaminated with Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) under federal cleanup programs.

The new validated test method complements other actions the agency is taking under the Action Plan to help communities address PFAS nationwide. 

“EPA’s important scientific advancement makes it possible for both government and private laboratories to effectively measure more PFAS chemicals in drinking water than ever before,” says EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “We can now measure 29 chemicals, marking a critical step in implementing the agency’s PFAS Action Plan — the most comprehensive cross-agency plan ever to address an emerging chemical of concern.”

EPA’s new validated Method 533 focuses on “short chain” PFAS, those PFAS with carbon chain lengths of four to 12. Method 533 complements EPA Method 537.1 and can be used to test for 11 additional PFAS.

Method 533 accomplishes a key milestone in the EPA PFAS Action Plan by meeting the agency’s commitment to develop new validated methods to accurately test for additional PFAS in drinking water. Method 533 also incorporates an analytical technique called isotope dilution, which can minimize sample matrix interference and improve data quality. 

Cleanup plan

The agency’s cleanup plan also is part of an aggressive and ongoing effort to address PFAS.

“We are delivering on one of our most important commitments under the PFAS Action Plan,” says Wheeler. “The interim recommendations will provide clear and consistent guidance for federal cleanup programs and will help protect drinking water resources in communities across the country. This is a critical tool for our state, tribal and local partners to use to protect public health and address these chemicals.”

The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management officials welcomed the EPA’s release of the recommendations. “Our members are working every day to address this important issue across the country and we look forward to reviewing the just released document, which we hope provides clear and consistent guidance on this evolving national issue,” says a spokesperson for the organization.

Federal agencies and states have asked EPA to provide guidance on this issue, and EPA is following through on its commitment. After reviewing public comments on the agency’s April 2019 draft guidance, EPA is finalizing these interim recommendations based on the available data and scientific information on PFAS toxicity.

EPA acknowledges that the scientific information on these compounds continues to evolve. As part of the PFAS Action Plan, EPA is continuing to develop and assess toxicity information, test methods, laboratory methods, analytical methods, exposure models and treatment methods, among other research efforts to improve our knowledge about this class of chemicals. As new information becomes available on other PFAS chemicals, the agency will consider additional recommendations as the agency advances its knowledge of these other substances. 

New recommendations

With these interim recommendations, EPA is prioritizing public health impacts by focusing on addressing groundwater that is a current or potential source of drinking water. The guidance recommends:

• Using a screening level of 40 ppt to determine if PFOA and/or PFOS is present at a site and may warrant further attention. Screening levels are risk-based values that are used to determine if levels of contamination may warrant further investigation at a site.
• Using EPA’s PFOA and PFOS Lifetime Drinking Water Health Advisory level of 70 ppt as the preliminary remediation goal (PRG) for contaminated groundwater that is a current or potential source of drinking water, where no state or tribal MCL or other applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements are available or sufficiently protective. PRGs are generally initial targets for cleanup, which may be adjusted on a site-specific basis as more information becomes available.

The interim recommendations and additional information are available online here.