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What Are PFAS In Water & How Do They Affect Human Health?
Forever chemicals – also known as per and poly fluoralkyl substances (PFAS) – are a family of different compounds so called because of how they persist in the environment, with many (such as perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) associated with adverse effects in both animals and people.
PFAS enjoy widespread use in a range of different industries, featuring in everything from baking equipment and frying pans to food packaging, textile and fabric treatments, outdoor clothing and shoes, cosmetics, skin creams, car polish, firefighting foam… and many more.
As useful as PFAS are, part of the problem is that they’re intended to be resistant to biodegradation – which is ideal for their practical applications, but less than good news for human health, biodiversity, ecosystems and the natural world.
Research published in June this year, carried out by the University of York, found that the presence of these forever chemicals in rivers around the UK has now reached some of the highest levels ever recorded.
This is naturally very concerning, given that some well-studied PFAS have been linked to elevated cancer risks, as well as fertility issues, liver damage and toxicity among wildlife.
What’s even more concerning is that there are currently no practical or economically viable ways in which PFAS can be removed once in the environment, with scientific concern now growing as to the impact that rising concentrations could have on human health and environmental processes.
Are water companies legally required to ensure that water is wholesome?
In short, yes. Water companies have a strict legal duty to ensure that water supplies for human consumption are wholesome, enshrined in the Water Industry Act 1991 and the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016.
Ultimately, this means that water must:
– Meet all prescribed standards set out in water quality regulations
– Be aesthetically acceptable in terms of appearance, taste and odour
– Not contain anything (alone or in combination) that could be harmful to health
Because there are currently no statutory standards for PFAS in drinking water in England and Wales (unlike other countries and the EU, where restrictions on chemical concentrations in drinking water are in place), the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has produced tiered guideline values for water suppliers to follow.
The expectation is that companies will develop robust strategies to investigate the extent of PFA sources in catchment areas, as well as concentrations in raw and final waters, and detailing trigger levels/actions necessary to reduce related risk in drinking water.
What is being done to tackle forever chemicals in water?
At the start of this month (November), the BBC revealed that water companies have now been ordered to address the issue of forever chemicals in water, with 23 enforcement notices issued by the DWI relating to elevated PFA levels that could “constitute a potential danger to human health”.
Since 2021, water firms have been required to test for 47 of the most concerning PFAS in tap water, as well as water sources such as reservoirs and aquifers.
Over the last four years, 1.7 million chemical tests have been carried out, with almost 10,000 of those recording PFA levels above that which the DWI says could pose potential risks to human health.
Analysing enforcement notices, brought to light by environmental journalism consortium Watershed Investigations, the BBC found that at least six million people could be affected, with both PFOS and PFOA found in over 350 different drinking water tests (out of 2,000 reviewed).
Industry body Water UK has emphasised that drinking water is safe to consume, but has still called for a ban on these chemicals to prevent buildup in the environment.
This was supported by the DWI, which said that water quality is safe because water companies are required to increase testing once a sanction has been issued, as well as changing/strengthening treatments for PFAS or removing drinking water sources altogether.
However, this doesn’t address the full scale of the problem, since the chemical makeup of these PFAS means they don’t degrade easily, so even if treatments are changed, water sources removed or even if a ban is implemented, they will still remain in the environment unless treated by water suppliers.
Speaking to the news source, Megan Kirton from environmental charity Fidra, said: “It’s a very tough situation that we’re in, because PFAS [are] very hard to get out of water. It’s like trying to get milk out of your coffee once you’ve already poured it in there.”
What removes PFAS from water?
Because of persistent bioaccumulation and the fact that they dissolve in water, it is not possible for traditional drinking water treatment technologies to remove them from waterways.
However, the likes of carbon adsorption, high-pressure membranes and ion exchange resins have been found to be useful for PFAS removal, with such technologies used in treatment plants, water systems in individual buildings and homes at point of use , such as the shower or kitchen sink, as well as point of entry.
Activated carbon
The most studied treatment for removal of PFAS, activated carbon is used to adsorb natural organic compounds and synthetic organic chemicals in treatment symptoms.
It has been found to work well on longer-chain PFAS, but less effective on shorter-chain compounds such as perfluorobutyrate and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid.
Ion exchange
Ion exchange is an alternative, where acid, base and water-insoluble resins made of highly porous polymers and hydrocarbons remove either positively or negatively charged contaminants.
This process has been found to have a high capacity for many PFAS but it is typically more expensive than activated carbon.
However, with anion exchange resins (which remove negatively charged contaminants) that can be deployed in single use mode followed by resin incineration, there’s no need for resin regeneration and, as such, there’s no resulting contaminant waste stream.
High-pressure membranes
Reverse osmosis or nanofiltration high-pressure membranes are very effective at PFAS removal. Research shows that these membranes are typically over 90 per cent effective at removing a wide range of different PFAS, including shorter-chain compounds.
How can businesses eliminate forever chemicals in water?
Because PFAS are so environmentally persistent, prevention will naturally always be better than cure – and if, as a business, you know that you’re contributing to this form of water pollution, now’s the time to consider different ways of working if you do want to prevent forever chemical contamination.
Reviewing your manufacturing process and products can make a significant difference, allowing you to see what you could change, whether that be focusing on effective treatments (as explained above) or through replacement of PFAS altogether.
Some big-name brands are already focusing on this latter idea, including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Whole Foods Market, Taco Bell and Starbucks, which are all now working to phase out PFAS from food packaging materials, or prohibiting their use.
It can also be useful to find out how and where you’re using water across your site and supply chain as a whole, so you can work out the best strategies for your business to prioritise water conservation.
If you’d like to find out more about water audits and how they could benefit you and your business from a sustainability perspective, get in touch with the H2O Building Services team today.