PFAS Regulation Falls Under the Authority of Several Different Federal Agencies
The New England Journal of Medicine recently received a letter from Joseph Braun, Ph.D., R.N., M.S.P.H., who calls for sweeping changes to how the federal government regulates perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a group of manmade chemicals used in a number of consumer and industrial products. They’re often called “forever chemicals” since most of these chemicals do not break down in the environment. Previous research has linked PFAS exposure and autistic traits in children. In his letter, Braun applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) March 2023 Proposed PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation that would limit concentrations of six PFAS in public drinking water supplies. However, he points out that this proposal will be challenging due to the nature of environmental-toxicant regulation within the United States. Unlike pharmaceuticals that are overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PFAS regulation falls under the authority of various federal agencies. For example, the EPA regulates public drinking water, the FDA regulates bottled water, and no government agency regulates PFAS levels in private wells. He then mentions that diet is the primary source of PFAS exposure and that the regulation of PFAS in food falls under the authority of both the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Braun also calls attention to the fact that thousands of PFAS are used in various industries. However, the EPA’s plan to address PFAS pollution includes EPA-proposed reference doses and maximum contaminant levels for only six of these substances. He strongly believes that the federal government should consider the “chemical soup” or mixture of PFAS that most people are exposed to. At this time, the government does not account for the potential effects of mixtures of PFAS. Braun advocates that federal agencies should regulate PFAS as a class of chemicals rather than one chemical at a time to address these concerns. He also believes that coordinated federal and global action will be necessary to prevent and reduce PFAS exposure and related diseases. Just as a global ban on leaded gasoline was possible, Braun believes a global ban on essential uses of PFAS can also be accomplished.
