In solidarity with affected communities across the U.S., CSWAB has prepared formal comments to EPA calling for improved screening of municipal and residential drinking water for PFAS, a group of highly toxic compounds found in firefighting foams used by the military to extinguish fuel-based fires.
CSWAB is critical of current drinking water test methods which are designed to measure a discrete list of only a handful of the estimated 3,000 PFAS in production. Instead, CSWAB is advocating for test methods that measure the summed total concentration of all PFAS compounds.
“Total PFAS (rather than limited compound-specific testing) should established as the preferred screening method for determining if water is safe to use and if additional investigation is indicated,” CSWAB wrote. ”The current screening methods have the potential to under-identify affected drinking water wells and groundwater contaminant plume margins.”
Advanced comprehensive analytical methods, such as TOP (Total Oxidizable Precursor) assays, are already available on the commercial market and are capable of measuring total PFAS, CSWAB noted.
Of the U.S. market, the military uses 75% of the PFAS firefighting foams, while municipal airports, refineries, fuel tank farms, and other industries use the remaining 25%.
CSWAB’s recommendations to EPA will be considered at the upcoming National Summit on PFAS in Washington, DC on May 22-23, 2018.
CSWAB Comments: PFAS Community Objectives Methods and Remedies for EPA National Summit May 2018