On June 21, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) published their report that takes the most in-depth look to date at the health impacts of perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
The study concludes that the current EPA advisory of 70 ppt total for PFOA and PFOS should be lowered to 7 ppt for PFOS and 11 ppt for PFOA. The study also concludes that the new standards for two other PFAs, PFNA and PFHxS should be 14 ppt and 70 ppt, respectively. Currently, there are no EPA drinking water advisories or standards for PFNA and PFHxS.
The report also states that the available epidemiology studies suggest associations between perfluoroalkyl exposure and the following health outcomes:
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension/pre-eclampsia (PFOA, PFOS)
- Liver damage, as evidenced by increases in serum enzymes and decreases in serum bilirubin levels (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS)
- Increases in serum lipids, particularly total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFDeA)
- Increased risk of thyroid disease (PFOA, PFOS)
- Decreased antibody response to vaccines (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFDeA)
- Increased risk of asthma diagnosis (PFOA)
- Increased risk of decreased fertility (PFOA, PFOS)
- Small (<20 g or 0.7 ounces per 1 ng/mL increase in blood perfluoroalkyl level) decreases in birth weight (PFOA, PFOS)
View the full report here.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I’VE BEEN EXPOSED TO PERFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES?
If you’ve been exposed to water contaminated by these chemicals, you may have a claim against the responsible party for damages to your property or for increased health risks. We are here to help and want to hear your story. We can be reached by phone at 303-861-8800, or by filling out the contact form below.