California Proposes Public Health Goals for PFOA and PFOS in Drinking Water

The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has announced the availability of a draft technical support document for proposed Public Health Goals (PHGs) for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. A PHG is the level of a drinking water contaminant at which adverse health effects are not expected to occur from a lifetime of exposure. California requires OEHHA to develop PHGs based exclusively on public health considerations to be considered by the State Water Resources Control Board for setting drinking water regulatory standards. The technical support document presents the scientific information available on the toxicity of PFOA and PFOS, and the calculation of the proposed PHGs based on both cancer and non-cancer health effects. The public comment period for the draft document begins July 30, 2021 and ends September 28, 2021. For more information, read the announcement and visit the OEHHA website.