The Road to Developing Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for Four PFAS: Lessons Learned from the New Hampshire Perspective

Ali, Jonathan; Butow, Mary; Gordon, David

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/103961 Copy

Description

Title

The Road to Developing Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for Four PFAS: Lessons Learned from the New Hampshire Perspective

Author(s)

• Ali, Jonathan
• Butow, Mary
• Gordon, David

Issue Date

2019-05-21

Keyword(s)

• PFAS
• per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
• drinking water

Abstract

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a unique class of emerging contaminants due to their environmental persistence and bio-accumulative properties in humans. Water contamination represents a major source of exposure to PFAS, with a growing number of drinking water supplies reporting PFAS contamination. In lieu of immediate federal action to establish national drinking water standards, several states have proposed their own drinking standards such as maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for certain PFAS. This problem is specifically challenging for New Hampshire where two communities were exposed to PFAS through contaminated drinking water supplies. In January 2019, New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services proposed MCLs for four PFAS including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS). This presentation will discuss the process, challenges and application of emerging tools necessary for regulating this class of emerging contaminants. Additionally, we highlight the research and regulatory needs for approaching surface water standards for these and other PFAS in the context of New Hampshire’s various surface water designations.

Series/Report Name or Number

2019 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC19)

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/103961

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