Environmental and Public Health Groups Call on Governor to Veto Pro-Polluter PFAS Bill
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PFAS
ABOUT PFAS
PFAS (pronounced “PEA-FASS”) stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a family of thousands of synthetic chemicals. They have been used for decades in a wide variety of manufacturing processes and consumer products such as firefighting foam, nonstick cookware, water-repellant clothing, stain resistant carpets, cleaning products and more.
NEW RESOURCE!
Municipal water utilities have an important role to play in preventing exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals. Our guide will give you the accurate and compelling information you need to talk with your local officials about the importance of testing for PFAS.
Guide to Talking with Local Officials about PFAS Pollution (pdf)
IS PFAS EXPOSURE A THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH?
Yes. Exposure to PFAS at even extremely low levels has been linked to a number of serious health issues:
- an increased risk of cancer
- reproductive and developmental problems
- thyroid hormone disruption
- high cholesterol
- ulcerative colitis
- reduced immune function
Exposure to PFAS can occur through drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated fish and deer, coming into contact with contaminated soil, breathing contaminated air near industrial facilities, eating food packaged in certain materials, wearing water-repellent clothing, and using common household items.
Infants and small children are particularly vulnerable to exposure, as they often come in direct contact with potentially contaminated carpet and dust while crawling, have a larger surface area relative to their mass, and drink disproportionate amounts of water.
WHAT LEVEL OF PFAS EXPOSURE IS CONSIDERED UNSAFE?
There is no longer any doubt about the extreme toxicity of PFAS chemicals. On June 15, 2022, the US EPA announced updated health advisory levels for certain PFAS compounds. According to the EPA, the safe level for PFOA and PFOS—two of the most widely studied compounds—is near zero.
EPA updated health advisory for PFOA = 0.004 ppt (parts per trillion)
EPA updated health advisory for PFOS = 0.02 ppt
HOW DO PFAS END UP IN DRINKING WATER?
PFAS contamination can come from a number of different sources:
- discharges from manufacturing facilities that use PFAS
- discharges from wastewater treatment plants
- water that percolates down through the soil around landfills
- firefighting foams that run off into surface waters
WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOING TO REGULATE PFAS?
Federal Enforcement Standards for Municipal Drinking Water
In March 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to establish enforceable nationwide standards to minimize concentrations of certain PFAS in municipal water systems. The federal agency is seeking to set maximum contaminant levels for PFOS and PFOA at 4 parts per trillion (ppt).
In addition, the EPA is proposing to regulate PFNA, PFBS, PFHxS, and GenX as a mixture, using a hazard index calculation to determine if the combined levels of these substances pose a public health risk. The rule is expected to be finalized by the end of 2023. It will go into effect three years after promulgation.
WHAT IS WISCONSIN DOING TO REGULATE PFAS?
Statewide Enforcement Standards for Municipal Drinking Water
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has developed enforcement standards for certain PFAS compounds in municipal drinking water and surface water, but not for groundwater. The new drinking water enforcement standard, which took effect on August 1, 2022, is 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS. Wisconsin water utilities are required to test for certain PFAS under state law. Statewide testing is conducted using EPA Analytical Method 537.1, which can detect 13 PFAS with federal or state health-based safety indicators. The DNR expects to finish testing by December 2023. Visit DNR's Drinking Water System Portal to see if your water utility has already tested for PFAS.
Statewide Enforcement Standards for Groundwater
The DNR is currently developing enforceable standards for PFAS in groundwater. According to a scope statement approved by the Natural Resources Board in December 2022, the DNR proposes adopting enforceable standards for some of the most widely studied PFAS substances, including PFOS, PFOA, PFBS and GenX chemicals.
A scope statement is the first step in developing enforceable groundwater standards through the administrative rulemaking process. That process had been nearing completion in February 2022 when it was abruptly ended by four members of the NRB who rejected proposed PFAS standards for groundwater, despite having voted to approve standards for drinking water and surface water. In July 2022, MEA submitted a petition to the DNR to restart the rulemaking process on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and S.O.H2O, a grassroots group dedicated to securing safe drinking water for Peshtigo and Marinette residents. MEA has urged the DNR to continue the rulemaking process without delay. Because much of the groundwork has already been laid, we are hopeful that the process can move forward more quickly than last time.
CONTAMINATED SITES IN WISCONSIN
DNR's PFAS Interactive Data Viewer is a mapping tool that incorporates datasets from several DNR programs to show locations throughout Wisconsin that have been impacted by PFAS contamination. The tool allows you to view municipal drinking water test results, fish and game consumption advisories, and information related to surface water sampling and monitoring.
PFAS RESOURCES
Standards and Guidance Values for PFAS
Known Contaminated Sites in Wisconsin
EPA PFOA & PFOS Health Advisory
ATSDR Toxicological Profile for Perflouroalkyls
ITRC Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Fact Sheet