The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on May 19 an update to its Drinking Water Treatability Database with new references and treatment options for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This update will help states, tribes, local governments, and water utilities make informed decisions to manage PFAS in their communities.
The Drinking Water Treatability Database presents an overview of different contaminants and possible treatment processes to remove them from drinking water. This information is supported by scientific references, such as journal articles, conference proceedings, reports, and webinars with treatability data.
With this update, the EPA added treatment information for 11 PFAS. This update brings the total number of PFAS with treatment information in the database to 37, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
Researchers have also added 38 new scientific references to the existing PFAS entries, which increases the depth of scientific knowledge available in the database.
The PFAS added to the database are:
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorohexanesulfonamide (PFHxSA)
- Perfluorobutylsulfonamide (PFBSA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMOBA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMOPrA)
- Perfluoro-3,5,7,9-butaoxadecanoic acid (PFO4DA)
- Fluorotelomer sulfonate 4:2 (FtS 4:2)
- Ammonium 4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoate (ADONA)
- Perfluoro-4-(perfluoroethyl)cyclohexylsulfonate (PFECHS)
- F-53B: a combination of 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid and 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid
- Perfluoro-2-{[perfluoro-3-(perfluoroethoxy)-2-propanyl]oxy}ethanesulfonic acid, also known as Nafion BP2.
The Drinking Water Treatability Database contains information on many different contaminants, in addition to PFAS. EPA researchers continue to expand and improve information in the database.
Click here to access the EPA’s Drinking Water Treatability Database.
NGWA has long been an industry leader in providing PFAS research, education, and resources to the public and scientific communities. In 2017, NGWA published Groundwater and PFAS: State of Knowledge and Practice, which was one of the first PFAS guidance documents to be released. It can be found at NGWA.org/PFAS, which is a complete resource center about the groundwater contaminants featuring a FAQs document, a top-10 facts sheet, a homeowner checklist, and more.
As in previous years, NGWA is once again hosting an event on the topic — the Fate of PFAS: From Groundwater to Tap Water virtual conference will take place June 22-23.