The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced draft national recommendations for health-based levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in waterbodies. These recommendations aim to guide states and authorized Tribes in setting water quality standards that protect people from exposure through consuming water, fish, and shellfish from potentially polluted inland and nearshore waterbodies.
The EPA's draft criteria focus on concentrations of three PFAS chemicals: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). The agency indicates that these levels are intended to avoid adverse human health effects from chronic exposure. "Human health criteria are not regulatory requirements and do not, on their own, compel any action," the EPA clarified. They serve as guidance for entities such as state and Tribal regulators when making policy decisions about water quality.
Developed under Clean Water Act Section 304(a), these criteria rely on scientific data regarding the impact of PFAS levels on human health. They are based solely on available science without considering economic impacts or technological feasibility, although other Clean Water Act tools may incorporate such factors.
The recommended criteria are informed by recent scientific research, including EPA human health assessments, fish consumption rates, drinking water intake rates, national bioaccumulation factors, and relative source contributions.
The EPA is inviting written comments on the draft criteria for a period of 60 days following publication in the Federal Register Notice.
