President Biden believes every American deserves to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and eat safe food — free of chemicals and pollutants that harm the health and wellbeing of children, families, and communities. Today, to advance that commitment, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing accelerated efforts to protect Americans from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can cause severe health problems and persist in the environment once released, posing a serious threat across rural, suburban, and urban areas. To safeguard public health and protect the environment, the efforts being announced will help prevent PFAS from being released into the air, drinking systems, and food supply, and the actions will expand cleanup efforts to remediate the impacts of these harmful pollutants.
As part of this government-wide approach, EPA Administrator Regan launched EPA’s PFAS Roadmap, a comprehensive strategy that outlines concrete actions over the next three years, including steps to control PFAS at its sources, hold polluters accountable, ensure science-based decision making, and address the impacts on disadvantaged communities.
The Administration is also continuing work to pass President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and Build Back Better Agenda, which both include dedicated funding to address PFAS contamination in drinking water. Specifically, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal includes $10 billion in grants to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS, through the State Revolving Funds and small and disadvantaged community programs. The President’s Build Back Better Agenda also includes investments for EPA to conduct monitoring across the country for 29 PFAS compounds in drinking water through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program.
To advance critical progress on securing clean air, safe food, and clean drinking water:
EPA’s new Roadmap builds on actions that EPA has already taken this year to confront PFAS, including updating a PFBS toxicity assessment that had been marked by error and improper, non-scientific influence and issuing a new assessment backed by career scientists. Consistent with President Biden’s commitment to enforce a limit for PFAS in drinking water, EPA has also begun to develop a national primary drinking water regulation, improve understanding of 29 PFAS chemicals in the nation’s water systems, and take actions to stop polluters from discharging PFAS into America’s waterways and wastewater systems.
Last month, EPA and DOD research efforts also resulted in expanded testing capabilities to detect more types of PFAS in a variety of environmental media (soil, groundwater, etc.), which will dramatically expand DOD’s and the nation’s ability to detect and ultimately address PFAS. Earlier this year, DOD also initiated quarterly public outreach by senior officials with stakeholders to discuss the Department’s PFAS-related work, in an effort to provide transparency and accountability. DOD manages the largest research and development program in the nation devoted to PFAS detection, treatment, and destruction—with over $150 million in investments and another $70 million devoted to a PFAS-free replacement firefighting foam. This program works closely with the best research academic institutions in the nation to develop the science to help address PFAS.
FDA earlier this year announced the results from its first round of expanded representative testing of the food supply to detect potential PFAS contamination, including in processed foods. The Agency has analyzed 440 Total Diet Study (TDS) samples for PFAS, in four waves of analysis, and is currently analyzing additional collections as well as conducting a targeted survey of the most commonly consumed seafood in the United States. FDA also continues to support state and local governments in responding to known and possible contamination events that may impact human food or animal food. Over the past few years, FDA has provided technical assistance to approximately seven states and has analyzed over 400 samples as a part of these engagements. The FDA has also broadened its outreach to industry to ensure that companies are reminded of packaging requirements that are intended to reduce human exposure to PFAS and is monitoring the presence of and potential exposure to PFAS in cosmetics.
Also within DHS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is addressing PFAS usage in firefighting foams, personal protective equipment, and other emergency response settings. Through the National Fire Academy, FEMA is working to better understand and mitigate PFAS exposure from fire training exercises and equipment use. FEMA also awarded a $1.5 million grant to the University of Arizona to study the extent of firefighter exposure to PFAS and resulting health impacts.
In May 2021, ATSDR released the final version of the Toxicological Profile on Perfluoroalkyls. ATSDR is currently developing reports for 10 PFAS exposure assessments, which looked at exposures in more than 2,300 individuals from over 1,400 households. ATSDR is also partnering with EPA to expand on the environmental measurements gathered as part of the exposure assessments in order to identify significant non-drinking water sources of exposure. In partnership with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, HHS is developing guidance for clinicians on PFAS testing, how test results should inform clinical care, and how to advise patients on exposure reduction. CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is conducting a study that will address PFAS exposures among career firefighters and includes measurement of PFAS levels in gear. The National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) is supporting an aggressive program of research, funding 40 active academic research projects to date. Through its Superfund Research Program, NIEHS is funding research and development of tools to remediate PFAS and better understand the fate and transport of PFAS chemicals once they are released into the environment. NIEHS and EPA are collaborating to develop a chemical class-based approach that would allow a quicker and more efficient understanding of potential health effects across the breadth of PFAS chemicals. Also, at EPA’s request, NIEHS is evaluating the published literature on specific PFAS to determine whether exposure could have immune effects that would weaken responses to vaccination. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has previously completed 4-week rodent studies to compare the toxicity of short- and long-chain PFAS. NTP has also published a two-year rodent study of PFOA to compare cancer and toxicity outcomes from exposures at different stages of life. Additionally, a systematic review was conducted to assess the immune effects of exposure to PFOA and PFOS.