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ŁEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Overview
FACT SHEET
PFOA & PFOS Drinking Water
Health Advisories
EPA has established health advisories for PFOA and PFOS based on the
agency's assessment of the latest peer-reviewed science to provide drinking
water system operators, and state, tribal and local officials who have the
primary responsibility for overseeing these systems, with information on
the health risks of these chemicals, so they can take the appropriate actions
to protect their residents. EPA is committed to supporting states and public
water systems as they determine the appropriate steps to reduce exposure
to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. As science on health effects of these
chemicals evolves, EPA will continue to evaluate new evidence.
Background on PFOA and PFOS
PFOA and PFOS are fluorinated organic chemicals that are part of a larger
group of chemicals referred to as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). PFOA
and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these
chemicals. They have been used to make carpets, clothing, fabrics for furni-
ture, paper packaging for food and other materials (e.g., cookware) that are
resistant to water, grease or stains. They are also used for firefighting at air-
fields and in a number of industrial processes.
Because these chemicals have been used in an array of consumer products,
most people have been exposed to them. Between 2000 and 2002, PFOS
was voluntarily phased out of production in the U.S. by its primary manufac-
turer. In 2006, eight major companies voluntarily agreed to phase out their
global production of PFOA and PFOA-related chemicals, although there are a
limited number of ongoing uses. Scientists have found PFOA and PFOS in the
blood of nearly all the people they tested, but these studies show that the
levels of PFOA and PFOS in blood have been decreasing. While consumer
products and food are a large source of exposure to these chemicals for
most people, drinking water can be an additional source in the small per-
centage of communities where these chemicals have contaminated water
supplies. Such contamination is typically localized and associated with a spe-
cific facility, for example, an industrial facility where these chemicals were
produced or used to manufacture other products or an airfield at which they
were used for firefighting.
EPA's 2016 Lifetime Health Advisories
EPA develops health advisories to provide information on contaminants that can cause human health effects
and are known or anticipated to occur in drinking water. EPA's health advisories are non-enforceable and
non-regulatory and provide technical information to states agencies and other public health officials on
health effects, analytical methodologies, and treatment technologies associated with drinking water contam-
ination. In 2009, EPA published provisional health advisories for PFOA and PFOS based on the evidence avail-
able at that time. The science has evolved since then and EPA is now replacing the 2009 provisional adviso-
ries with new, lifetime health advisories.
US Environmental Protection Agency
May 2016
EPA 800-F-16-003
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FACT SHEET
PFOA & PFOS Drinking Water Health Advisories
EPA's 2016 Lifetime Health Advisories, continued
To provide Americans, including the most sensitive populations, with a margin of protection from a life-
time of exposure to PFOA and PFOS from drinking water, EPA established the health advisory levels at 70
parts per trillion. When both PFOA and PFOS are found in drinking water, the combined concentrations
of PFOA and PFOS should be compared with the 70 parts per trillion health advisory level. This health advi-
sory level offers a margin of protection for all Americans throughout their life from adverse health effects
resulting from exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
How the Health Advisories were developed
EPA's health advisories are based on the best available peer-reviewed studies of the effects of PFOA and
PFOS on laboratory animals (rats and mice) and were also informed by epidemiological studies of human
populations that have been exposed to PFASs. These studies indicate that exposure to PFOA and PFOS over
certain levels may result in adverse health effects, including developmental effects to fetuses during preg-
nancy or to breastfed infants (e.g., low birth weight, accelerated puberty, skeletal variations), cancer (e.g.,
testicular, kidney), liver effects (e.g., tissue damage), immune effects (e.g., antibody production and im-
munity), thyroid effects and other effects (e.g., cholesterol changes).
EPA's health advisory levels were calculated to offer a margin of protection against adverse health effects
to the most sensitive populations: fetuses during pregnancy and breastfed infants. The health advisory lev-
els are calculated based on the drinking water intake of lactating women, who drink more water than other
people and can pass these chemicals along to nursing infants through breastmilk.
Recommended Actions for Drinking Water Systems
Steps to Assess Contamination
If water sampling results confirm that drinking water contains PFOA and PFOS at individual or combined
concentrations greater than 70 parts per trillion, water systems should quickly undertake additional sam-
pling to assess the level, scope and localized source of contamination to inform next steps
Steps to Inform
If water sampling results confirm that drinking water contains PFOA and PFOS at individual or combined
concentrations greater than 70 parts per trillion, water systems should promptly notify their State drinking
water safety agency (or with EPA in jurisdictions for which EPA is the primary drinking water safety agency)
and consult with the relevant agency on the best approach to conduct additional sampling.
Drinking water systems and public health officials should also promptly provide consumers with infor-
mation about the levels of PFOA and PFOS in their drinking water. This notice should include specific infor-
mation on the risks to fetuses during pregnancy and breastfed and formula-fed infants from exposure to
drinking water with an individual or combined concentration of PFOA and PFOS above EPA's health adviso-
ry level of 70 parts per trillion. In addition, the notification should include actions they are taking and identi-
fy options that consumers may consider to reduce risk such as seeking an alternative drinking water source,
or in the case of parents of formula-fed infants, using formula that does not require adding water.
US Environmental Protection Agency
May 2016
EPA 800-F-16-003
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FACT SHEET
PFOA & PFOS Drinking Water Health Advisories
Recommended Actions for Drinking Water Systems, continued
Steps to Limit Exposure
A number of options are available to drinking water systems to lower concentrations of PFOA and PFOS in
their drinking water supply. In some cases, drinking water systems can reduce concentrations of perfluo-
raklyl substances, including PFOA and PFOS, by closing contaminated wells or changing rates of blending of
water sources. Alternatively, public water systems can treat source water with activated carbon or high
pressure membrane systems (e.g., reverse osmosis) to remove PFOA and PFOS from drinking water. These
treatment systems are used by some public water systems today, but should be carefully designed and
maintained to ensure that they are effective for treating PFOA and PFOS. In some communities, entities
have provided bottled water to consumers while steps to reduce or remove PFOA or PFOS from drinking
water or to establish a new water supply are completed.
Home drinking water treatment units are typically certified by independent third party organizations
against American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards to verify their contaminant removal claims.
Some home filters remove impurities using activated carbon and reverse osmosis, which are the same tech-
nologies utilized by public water supply systems to remove PFOA and PFOS. However, there currently are
no ANSI protocols for testing home treatment systems to verify that these devices effectively remove PFOA
and PFOS or how frequently the filters should be changed in order to maintain removal efficiency. NSF In-
ternational is currently developing such protocols.
Other Actions Relating to PFOA and PFOS
Between 2000 and 2002, PFOS was voluntarily phased out of production in the U.S. by its primary manufac-
turer, 3M. EPA also issued regulations to limit future manufacturing, including importation, of PFOS and its
precursors, without first having EPA review the new use. A limited set of existing uses for PFOS (fire re-
sistant aviation hydraulic fluids, photography and film products, photomicrolithography process to produce
semiconductors, metal finishing and plating baths, component of an etchant) was excluded from these reg-
ulations because these uses were ongoing and alternatives were not available.
In 2006, EPA asked eight major companies to commit to working toward the elimination of their production
and use of PFOA, and chemicals that degrade to PFOA, from emissions and products by the end of 2015. All
eight companies have indicated that they have phased out PFOA, and chemicals that degrade to PFOA,
from emissions and products by the end of 2015. Additionally, PFOA is included in EPA's proposed Toxic
Substance Control Act's Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) issued in January 2015 which will ensure that EPA
has an opportunity to review any efforts to reintroduce the chemical into the marketplace and take action,
as necessary, to address potential concerns.
EPA has not established national primary drinking water regulations for PFOA and PFOS. EPA is evaluating
PFOA and PFOS as drinking water contaminants in accordance with the process required by the Safe Drink-
ing Water Act (SDWA). To regulate a contaminant under SDWA, EPA must find that it: (1) may have adverse
health effects; (2) occurs frequently (or there is a substantial likelihood that it occurs frequently) at levels of
public health concern; and (3) there is a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction for people served
by public water systems.
US Environmental Protection Agency
May 2016
EPA 800-F-16-003
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FACT SHEET
PFOA & PFOS Drinking Water Health Advisories
Other Actions Relating to PFOA and PFOS, continued
EPA included PFOA and PFOS among the list of contaminants that water systems are required to monitor
under the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 3) in 2012. Results of this monitoring
effort are updated regularly and can be found on the publicly-available National Contaminant Occurrence
Database (NCOD) (https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-
rule#3). In accordance with SDWA, EPA will consider the occurrence data from UCMR 3, along with the
peer reviewed health effects assessments supporting the PFOA and PFOS Health Advisories, to make a reg-
ulatory determination on whether to initiate the process to develop a national primary drinking water regu-
lation.
In addition, EPA plans to begin a separate effort to determine the range of PFAS for which an Integrated
Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment is needed. The IRIS Program identifies and characterizes the
health hazards of chemicals found in the environment. IRIS assessments inform the first two steps of the
risk assessment process: hazard identification, and dose-response. As indicated in the 2015 IRIS Multi-Year
Agenda, the IRIS Program will be working with other EPA offices to determine the range of PFAS com-
pounds and the scope of assessment required to best meet Agency needs. More about this effort can be
found at https://www.epa.gov/iris/iris-agenda.
Where Can I Learn More?
EPA's Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/
ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos
PFOA and PFOS data collected under EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule are available:
https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
EPA's stewardship program for PFAS related to TSCA: https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-
chemicals-under-tsca/and-polvfluoroalkyl-substances-pfass-under-tsca
EPA's research activities on PFASs can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/
perfluorinated-chemical-pfc-research
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Perflourinated Chemicals and Your Health
webpage at: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/PFC/
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
US Environmental Protection Agency
May 2016
EPA 800-F-16-003
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