EPA Publishes Draft PFAS Toxicity Assessments for PFBS and GenX

On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, EPA published its Draft PFAS Toxicity Assessments for PFBS and GenX for public comment. The sixty-day comment period will begin when the Federal Register notice is posted (expected today). To develop these draft toxicity assessments, the Agency used the best available science, including input from independent peer reviewers. Representatives from ASDWA, ECOS, and six states have also been involved in a discussion group with EPA about the development of these toxicity assessments since March 2018. The draft toxicity assessment values are shown in the following table. The draft Reference Dose (RfD) for PFBS suggests it is less toxic than GenX chemicals, and that both PFBS and GenX chemicals are less toxic than PFOA and PFOS. However, these draft values may change in response to public comment.

On a conference call with ASDWA, ECOS, and states earlier this week, EPA said that:

• States should not use these draft values to support decision-making until they have been finalized.
• They would be happy to have a call with ASDWA and state drinking water programs and ASDWA will plan this.
• They are not planning to develop health advisories on these compounds at this point but may do so in the future.
• If states want to develop health advisories, EPA will provide technical assistance to help them.
• They may develop toxicity assessments for up to five or more PFAS compounds in the long-term future, though they have no plans for the short-term at this point.
• They are continuing to work on research with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and other federal partners on groups of PFAS compounds.

For more information and to view the draft assessments, press release, and fact sheet, visit EPA’s website.