PFAS RESOURCES

  • Shaheen, Carper & Schumer Introduce Landmark Legislation To Fund PFAS Cleanup

    Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation with Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to help communities combat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and exposure in drinking water and groundwater.
  • A Possible End To ‘Forever’ Chemicals

    Synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyls, or PFAS, contain bonds between carbon and fluorine atoms considered the strongest in organic chemistry.
  • NC State Receives $7.4M From NIEHS To Study PFAS Toxicity, Bioaccumulation And Remediation

    Researchers from North Carolina State University have received a five-year, $7.4M grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program to establish a Center for Environmental and Human Health Effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
  • Across The Country, Polluters Forced To Pay Out For PFAS Contamination

    It’s possible that contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of chemicals that has found its way into source water throughout the country via industrial operations, poses acute health threats when consumed, and resists standard treatment methods — has become the defining drinking water obstacle of our time.
  • Study: PFAS Act Similar To Known Cancer-Causing Chemicals

    Scientists at the Environmental Working Group and Indiana University have for the first time conducted a review of 26 fluorinated chemicals, or PFAS, and found that all display at least one characteristic of known human carcinogens.
  • EPA Releases PFAS Action Plan: Program Update

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the PFAS Action Plan: Program Update. Over the past year, EPA has made significant progress under the Action Plan to help states and local communities address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and protect public health and the agency’s Program Update highlights those efforts.
  • Will Mark Ruffalo Become The PFAS Erin Brockovich?

    In the fight against drinking water contamination, water systems and consumers can often use all the help they can get. As communities in North Carolina wrestle with elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), so-called “forever chemicals” found in water across the country and linked to devastating health effects, that has come in the form of some star power.
  • U.S. Military Bases With Cancer-Linked Contaminated Water Are Undercounted

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of an estimated 5,000 man-made fluorinated chemicals that have been used, since the 1940s, in the manufacturing processes of various consumer products and industries. PFAS are widely used, especially because of their oil and water repellency and temperature and chemical resistance.
  • What Is PFAS?

    PFOA (perfluorooctanic acid) and PFOS (perflurooctane sulfonate) are organic synthetic chemicals that have been used in manufacturing a multitude of industrial and consumer-based products including coatings, carpeting, and fire-fighting foams. Over several decades, they have contaminated the environment, specifically our drinking water sources, causing significant health concerns that recently prompted the EPA to take action.
  • EPA Continues To Act On PFAS, Proposes To Close Import Loophole And Protect American Consumers

    Today, as part of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan, the agency is proposing regulations on imported products that contain certain persistent long-chain PFAS chemicals that are used as surface coatings.
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PFAS SOLUTIONS

  • Activated Carbon For PFAS Treatment: Why Base Material Matters

    Granular activated carbon (GAC) is an effective and proven technology for the removal of PFAS and many other harmful organic compounds. But, not all products are the same and using the right GAC can make the difference between success and failure.
  • Carbon Systems

    Loprest designs and manufactures granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment systems for taste and odor applications, chlorine removal, PFC’s, 1 2 3 TCP, PCE/TCE, 1 4 dioxane, and many other contaminants. Loprest has a long, successful history in the selection and application of the proper carbon media for the application.
  • How To Cost-Effectively Remove Multiple Contaminants From Water Simultaneously

    Water utilities must protect the public health by producing a final product that meets all regulatory requirements. In addition, the water must be pleasing to the customer, with no taste or odor issues. And finally, utilities must stay abreast of emerging contaminants, health advisories, and new regulations. It’s a constant challenge to shoulder these responsibilities while staying within tight budgets. Utilities need a technology that helps them achieve multiple goals cost-effectively.
  • Ultrapure Water For Determination of Toxic Elements In Environmental Analyses

    In this paper the importance of reagent water quality for toxic element environmental analyses is discussed, and the suitability of fresh ultrapure water produced using MilliporeSigma water purification systems for ICP-OES and ICP-MS trace element analyses in environmental laboratories is demonstrated.
  • GAC vs IX For PFAS Removal

    Protecting the public health and ensuring water is safe to drink is the highest goal of water system managers. Negative health effects are indicated from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS). Based on lab studies, the U.S. EPA has issued a health advisory for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water of 70 parts per trillion. While health advisories are not enforceable, they offer a margin of safety for consumers.
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PFAS MULTIMEDIA

Jacobi
Tackling PFAS And Other Emerging Contaminants

Manmade chemicals — most notably PFAS and 1,2,3-trichloropropane, or TCP — are emerging as a serious threat to water sources that municipalities at some point will need to address to meet regulations and provide quality water. PFAS has been rearing its head across the U.S.; and while TCP is mainly a California issue, it could prove to be more expansive. In this Water Talk interview, Jim Knepper, vice president and general manager of the Resinex division of Jacobi Carbons, and Mike Bickel, a municipal sales manager with Jacobi, discuss how activated carbon technology is helping water plant operators tackle looming problems such as PFAS and TCP.

More PFAS Videos & Podcasts

ABOUT PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that have sometimes been called “forever chemicals” for their persistent nature in the environment, difficulty to remove through treatment, and bioaccumulation in humans and animals. Two types of PFAS — perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — have been identified as toxic by the U.S. EPA, while many more of the nearly 5,000 PFAS formulas are either suspected contaminants or have yet to be studied thoroughly. Originally developed for non-stick coatings, stain-repellant fabric treatments, and firefighting foams, PFAS are especially prevalent near former areas of high use — such as manufacturing facilities, airports, military bases, or the sites of large fires — yet widely problematic.

In February 2020, the EPA issued preliminary determinations to regulate PFOA and PFOS under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and establish the first national PFAS monitoring and treatment requirements for drinking water utilities (see EPA’s PFAS Action Plan). Numerous U.S. states, however, have already developed rules and guidance for PFAS.

This solution center addresses the topics and questions most important to drinking water professionals as the PFAS issue evolves — How does PFAS get into drinking water? How do utilities monitor for PFAS? What treatment technologies remove PFAS? What are the regulatory limits for PFAS? — with answers provided through breaking news stories, editorial insight, and technical discussions.