[Press Release] EPA Announces Key Step to Advance Science, Better Protect Communities from PFAS Pollution

October 25, 2021

Read the full press release by the U.S. EPA

"Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a final human health toxicity assessment for GenX chemicals, which are part of the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) group. The agency’s final toxicity assessment represents a key step in advancing the scientific understanding of GenX chemicals and their effects on human health.

“Research establishes a foundation for informed decision making and it is one of the central strategies of EPA’s PFAS Roadmap,” said Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “This science-based final assessment marks a critical step in the process of establishing a national drinking water health advisory for GenX chemicals and provides important information to our partners that can be used to protect communities where these chemicals are found.”

In certain locations, GenX chemicals have been found in surface water, groundwater, drinking water, rainwater, and the air. EPA’s final assessment for GenX chemicals focuses solely on the potential human health effects associated with oral exposure. Issuing the final toxicity assessment gives EPA the opportunity to share and exchange information with the agency’s state and Tribal co-regulators who are working with their communities to confront this complex environmental challenge."