Silvia Vlad, New Zealand Drinking Water Treatment Lead, Jacobs; Scott Grieco, Global Principal, Jacobs; Jane Thrasher, Director of Land Quality, Jacobs
The past 12 months have seen a flurry of new regulations, research, occurrence data, and management strategies around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), both in New Zealand and abroad. These ubiquitous so-called “forever chemicals” pose concerns for management across the water industry and beyond, and regulators have wrestled with the most appropriate way to address production, use, disposal, and public exposure to PFAS. This challenge is made more complex by the existence of thousands of different PFAS, and the numerous associated health impacts, spanning cancer, liver, kidney, fertility, and developmental impacts, asthma, thyroid disease, and reduced vaccine response.
While recent research and monitoring efforts are providing an expanding evidence base, regulators are confronted with the need to act in the short-term and face significant challenges in obtaining and assessing scientific information to support the development of suitable regulations. Regulatory approaches have therefore differed widely, with recent developments across Canada, the United States, and England highlighting the variability.
In February 2023, Health Canada issued draft drinking water guidance limiting the sum of 18 or more PFAS to 30 ng/L. In contrast, the following month the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)’s proposed drinking water regulations encompassed six PFAS, with four compounds proposed to be regulated via a grouped “hazard index,” combining the risk posed by compounds with different health endpoints. This also proposes maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 4 ng/L each for PFOS and PFOA, levels dramatically lower than current values issued by USEPA or by individual states. Additional 2023 draft PFAS regulations for the management of PFAS-containing media and treatment plant residuals (under US CERCLA legislation) could impact all facets of water production and wastewater management.
New Zealand’s Drinking Water Standards (2022) include a combined maximum allowable value (MAV) for perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and PFOS at 70ng/L, and a separate MAV of 560 ng/L for PFOA. While there is no PFAS manufacturing in New Zealand, recent studies have corroborated the presence of PFAS in New Zealand’s urban waters (Lenka et al, 2022).
In England, although there is limited PFAS manufacturing, monitoring indicates widespread presence of PFAS in the English environment, including “intermediates” (e.g., 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate). The publication of the Health and Safety Executive Risk Management Options Analysis (RMOA) for PFAS has been described as a “step change” for the UK, with proposals for future management of PFAS, including restrictions on use. The RMOA further marks the divergence of UK regulation from the European Union – where progress is being made towards restrictions on the use of all PFAS, alongside proposals for new surface water and groundwater environmental quality standards, as well as new drinking water standards.
2023 has been a landmark year, moving the deliberations around PFAS regulations in both the drinking water and environmental contexts. Amidst the shifting of the global regulatory landscape, this paper will provide an overview of the state-of-the-science surrounding PFAS and a roundup of worldwide approaches to compliance, with a focus on their potential implications for water utilities in New Zealand.