Drinking water systems throughout the United States have been contaminated with PFAS—a group of chemicals known to cause cancer, thyroid disease, and other health problems.

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Get access to accurate, industry standard testing about the chemical levels in your municipal drinking water systems without putting the cost on your community.

Understand contamination levels and next steps to most effectively -- and quickly -- protect your community from dangerous drinking water caused by PFAS and PFOAS from BigChem.

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A PFOA or PFOAS is an emerging contaminant that has been found in the drinking water of many communities across the United States, including those served by [company name].

PFOAs are perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), also known as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFOAs have been used for many years in consumer products such as Teflon™ cookware and Scotchgard™ fabric protector.

PFOAs are difficult to remove from water because they do not break down in the environment and can last for a long time. When the chemicals break down, they form PFOS and PFOA. These breakdown products are considered more toxic than original PFOA compounds.

The state and federal government have set limits on how much PFOA/PFAS can be present in drinking water supplies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for these chemicals in drinking water; this health advisory level is based on animal studies that show possible effects at high doses with long-term exposure or at lower doses with short-term exposure.

PFOA/PFOAS is a chemical that has been used in the manufacturing of many consumer products, including nonstick pans and stain-resistant clothing. It's also found in the water supply.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed by Congress in 1974, with amendments added in 1986 and 1996, to protect our drinking water. Under the SDWA, EPA sets the standards for drinking water quality and monitors states, local authorities, and water suppliers who enforce those standards.

As part of the SDWA, EPA has set maximum contaminant levels, as well as treatment requirements for over 90 different contaminants in public drinking water.

Roughly 95% of the U.S. population relies on public water systems to supply their household water for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and drinking.

Most tap water is contaminated with at least one part per trillion (ppt) of PFAS and are found in the bodies of 97% of Americans.

PFAS are in most public water systems across the country, which means they are in most families’ homes and used daily for drinking, cooking, and bathing.

The EPA classifies public water systems into three types:

1. Community Water Systems (CWS)
2. Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems (NTNCWS)
3. Transient Non-Community Water Systems (TNCWS)

Across the United States, each of these public drinking water systems has been exposed to PFAS at dangerous levels.

70 parts per trillion (ppt)

EPA health advisory level

In June 2022, the EPA released updated guidelines on the levels of PFAS that are considered safe for public drinking water.

How to Test

Tests to Use

LC-MS/MS tests are considered the industry standard when detecting small — yet harmful amounts of PFAS in municipal drinking water systems.

The most important factor in testing for levels of PFAS in public drinking water is the lab you use. Creating a dialogue with the lab and understanding their testing conditions, as well as the equipment they use, can have a huge impact on the results your tests show regarding the levels of PFAS in the water.

Problems with Test Results

Not all tests are created equal. The most common reaction we hear when we talk to municipality decision makers and plant managers is that the water has been tested or that they don’t want to place the financial burden on their taxpayers.

1. https://www.epa.gov/water-research/pfas-analytical-methods-development-and-sampling-research, 2023

Where do the chemicals come from?

PFAS enter municipal drinking water systems in several ways. Once the chemicals enter the air or the water, they do not decompose naturally or chemically. Humans then drink the water and are exposed to PFAS and their dangerous effects on human health, including cancer, liver disease, and kidney disease.

A recent review from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines a host of health effects associated with PFAS exposure, including cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, and increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed two different test methodologies to support its ongoing effort to address the presence of PFAS in drinking water sources and meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

These test methods are:

• Method 537: Determination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid, and Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid in Drinking Water by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Method 531: Determination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid, and Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid in Drinking Water by Liquid Chromatography with Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

PFAS can be removed from water through reverse osmosis, activated carbon filtration, and ion exchange.

A reverse osmosis (RO) system uses pressure to push unfiltered water through a semipermeable membrane. The membrane has small pores that block contaminants, such as PFAS, but allow clean water to flow through to the other side. Reverse osmosis is one of the most comprehensive water treatment methods to remove contaminants.

Carbon filters contain activated carbon that has an abundance of pores along its surface and infrastructure. When water runs through the activated carbon, PFAS and other contaminants are captured or altered by a process called adsorption, and clean water emerges on the other side.

Ion exchange water treatment involves a chemical process in which undesirable dissolved ions, such as PFAS, nitrate, and sulfate, are exchanged for other ions with a similar charge. Ions are atoms or molecules with either a positive or negative electrical charge. Ion exchange water treatment systems contain an anion resin that captures negatively charge ions (e.g., PFAS) and a cation resin that captures positively charged ions (e.g., hardness causing calcium and magnesium)

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