PFAS Prominent in News and Some Questions and Answers

by | Jun 18, 2021 | Blog | 0 comments

Interest in environmental regulatory developments are often confined to those of us in the environmental community – EHS Managers, Lawyers, Consultants, etc… For example, in the past week, there was a significant development over jurisdictional waters or Waters of the United States (more on this in a future blog). Outside of the environmental community, you will likely get blank stares if you bring this into a conversation. Bring up PFAS, on the other hand, and you will likely find there is growing awareness and concern.

Recent PFAS Headlines

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS are increasingly getting the attention of consumers as well as wider news coverage. In addition, there are federal regulatory developments, state regulatory developments, research news, litigation developments, blogs, articles, and conferences all relating to PFAS.

Just in the past 10-15 days these headlines appeared:

  • First of its kind study detects high levels of ‘toxic’ PFAS in half of North American cosmetics.
  • It’s raining PFAS: EPA faces pressure on ‘forever chemicals.’
  • “Where’s the PFAS?” EPA Expands Search for PFAS in the Marketplace.
  • EPA Announces Three PFAS Actions, Including Proposed TSCA Section 8(a) Reporting Rule.
  • Environmental Groups Seek To Intervene In Case Over DNR’s PFAS Regulation Authority.
  • Bills aim to clean up PFAS chemicals.
  • Bills helping farmers transition from PFAS contaminated land, establish working farmland access program signed into law.
  • PFAS, Emerging Contaminants & How Polluters Are Paying Municipalities for Water Remediation Costs.

While the potential health and environmental effects of PFAS are growing, the bottleneck continues to be the lack of federal enforceable standards. Some states have established their own standards, but in some cases including Michigan, these standards are being challenged.

Questions and Answers with PFAS Subject Matter Expert

I recently sat down with our senior environmental engineer, Matthew Schroeder to ask him a few basic questions relating to PFAS.  Matt is currently working on projects that involve the assessment and remediation of PFAS.  Matt is frequently asked to speak about the assessment and remediation of PFAS (lawyers, trade groups, farmers, etc…) Matt is also active with PFAS technical working groups in the United States and Canada.

Picture of Matt Schroeder

Matt Schroeder, M.S., P.E., is a frequent speaker on the assessment and remediation of PFAS.

I am constantly hearing about PFAS. No one has told me to test for PFAS, is there something I should do?

  • Check the raw materials and products that you use to determine if they contain PFAS.  If they do, consider alternatives that are PFAS free. Note that Safety Data Sheets do not typically list components less than 1%, so PFAS may be part of the product and not listed.
  • If you suspect a PFAS issue, consult with legal counsel prior to testing.  It may be prudent to protect the results unless there is a legal obligation to report.
  • Be sure to follow recognized standard operating procedures when sampling.  Because the levels at which PFAS are a concern (parts per trillion) and the number of commercial products containing PFAS, cross contamination during sampling can be an issue.

Do you have any idea when we might see federal Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for some of the PFAS compounds?

  • The USEPA is currently evaluating whether PFAS MCLs should be promulgated.  If that evaluation leads to promulgation of MCLs, past history suggests the process could take years.

How complicated/costly is remediating PFAS?

  • Because there is no commercially-viable method for destruction of PFAS in situ (in the ground), remediation of PFAS is currently limited to “pump-and-treat” systems.  The treatment step is most typically adsorption using activated carbon or ion exchange resin.  Depending on the PFAS concentrations and remedial goals, this type of remediation can be lengthy and costly.

Are there any other developments regarding PFAS that we should be monitoring?

  • This is a quickly evolving subject. I would suggest that you check our PFAS Resources page. We strive to keep the most recent information on this page.

If you have a specific question or concern relating to PFAS, you can contact Matt directly at 248-932-0228, Ext. 117.  You can also connect with Matt on .

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