Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

New York State Response to PFAS Contamination

Since 2016, New York’s leadership addressed PFAS contamination through emergency responses to contaminated drinking water supplies, installation of treatment systems, and site cleanups, classifying certain PFAS as hazardous substances, incorporating them into soil and groundwater remediation programs, and setting some of the nation’s most stringent drinking water and ambient water quality standards. DEC developed guidance for sampling and analysis, restricted or banned PFAS in products, and implemented policies to limit PFAS in biosolids recycling. Under the leadership of the New York State Department of Health (DOH), New York State was one of the first to develop its own health-based enforceable drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS in 2020. The State continues work in close coordination with local health departments to identify public water supplies with PFOA and PFOS levels above 10 ppt and require them to take action to remove PFAS from these water supplies. DOH has also helped communities remove PFAS from drinking water through infrastructure grant and loan opportunities. These efforts have been paired with regulatory updates, expanded monitoring, and coordinated enforcement to reduce PFAS use and mitigate environmental and public health risks. Further detail on State efforts can be found in the document below. 

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals used for their unique and stable chemical properties. They are used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. Fluoropolymer coatings are used in a wide range of both commercial and consumer products such as water-repellent clothing, furniture, adhesives, paint and varnish, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, and insulation of electrical wires. They are also found in firefighting foam, fume suppressants, and various cleaning products. 

PFAS chemicals have been manufactured since the 1940s. There are thousands of individual PFAS chemicals with varying physical, chemical, and toxicological properties. The two most widely known PFAS chemicals in this group are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).

Why PFAS are a Concern

Some PFAS do not break down easily and persist for a long time in the environment and in the human body. Their toxicity and persistence in the environment and in the human body represent a threat to public health and the environment. DOH conducts projects to learn more about levels of PFAS, metals, and many other environmental contaminants in New Yorkers. Learn more about these projects from the Department of Health.

Related Health Information

Additional information about potential health impacts is available from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Information is also available on the DOH website about Public Water Systems and Drinking Water Standards for PFAS and Other Emerging Contaminants and Reducing PFAS in Private Wells (PDF).

Addressing PFAS in the Environment

PFAS enter the environment through many pathways. DEC is committed to a coordinated approach to identify sources, mitigate impacts, and address future releases. As outlined below, multiple divisions within DEC and DOH have developed strategies for achieving this objective. Additional information is provided in the embedded links.

PFAS in Drinking Water

Drinking water represents one of the main pathways for public exposure to PFAS and New York State’s public drinking water program is overseen by DOH and local health departments that work with (EPA) and local health departments to protect public health and help communities comply with drinking water standards.

 In 2020, New York State set drinking water standards for public water supplies known as maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 10 parts per trillion (10 ppt) each for PFOA and PFOS, with review and input from the New York State Drinking Water Quality Council. The Council is comprised of regulators, academics, community representatives, and water suppliers that make recommendations to DOH on emerging contaminants in drinking water. 

Public water systems in New York must monitor for more than 100 different contaminants on a regular schedule, including PFOA and PFOS. Public water systems must report on all PFAS included in the analytical method when they detect any level of PFOA and PFOS. This helps identify additional unregulated PFAS contaminants that may be present.. As with all MCLs, water systems must notify their local health department of any exceedances. If there is a confirmed MCL exceedance, the public water system will work with their local health department to notify the public and develop a course of action and timetable to reduce levels below the MCL.

When a surface water, aquifer, or other groundwater drinking water source is contaminated with PFAS determined to be originating from a designated DEC program remedial site or a contaminant spill, the provision of an alternate water supply (AWS) is performed as part of the site cleanup. New York State has been providing testing, analyses and most importantly, mitigation of impacted private drinking water supplies when investigating possible PFAS industrial sources. To date, when PFAS has been found above applicable standards, DEC has provided over 2,200 homes of businesses with an AWS. 

New York State does not regulate PFAS contaminants in private wells. DOH uses public drinking water standards as guidance when evaluating private well data and recommending actions to reduce exposure. If you have concerns about your private drinking water well, contact your local health department or DOH’s Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation to find out if PFAS contamination is present in your area and what steps are recommended.

PFAS in Consumer Products

Over several decades, PFAS have been common ingredients in consumer products, including non-stick cookware, stain- and water-resistant fabrics and apparel, paints and coatings, cleaning products, cosmetics, refrigerants, and many products that require resistance to heat, water, and staining. Although the use of certain legacy PFAS chemicals is being phased out, the chemicals are still found in some household and commercial products. 

New York State is committed to preventing pollution through actions that reduce the presence of PFAS in products right at the source, including restrictions on the sale of consumer products containing PFAS including: 

• PFAS in Food Packaging
• PFAS in Carpets
• PFAS in Apparel

State agencies are sending a market signal to keep PFAS out of products by using GreenNY purchasing specifications. PFAS restrictions have been built into specifications for the purchase of furniture, apparel, food packaging, cookware and bakeware, and other items. This will drive down demand for PFAS-containing consumer products and keep them out of New York State facilities. 

PFAS in Firefighting Foam

PFAS have historically been an important active ingredient in foams used for flammable liquid and gas fires ("Class B" firefighting foams or AFFF) which can quickly suffocate and extinguish fuel fires.  See fact sheet on Phasing Out PFAS-Containing Class B Firefighting Foam (ARRR/AR-AFFF) (PDF).

See fact sheet about  Storage and Use of Fire Fighting Foams.

Through funding prioritized by New York State in the Environmental Protection Fund, DEC worked with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to collect over 40,000 gallons of AFFF from 2017-2020. 

A NYS law (Section 391-U of the General Business Law) requires manufactures of AFFF containing intentionally added PFAS to recall and safely manage those products. DEC is working to make those parties aware of their obligation and to establish a take-back program for AFFF. Inquiries can be addressed to [email protected]. 

Firefighting companies that transition from traditional AFFF to fluorine free foam (F3) ahead of a take-back program are encouraged to follow EPA guidance on disposal of PFAS containing AFFF. This transition requires awareness of issues relating to clean out or replacement of foam equipment. 

PFAS Site Investigations and Cleanup

DEC’s Division of Environmental Remediation (DER) has prioritized identifying PFAS source sites that could pose exposure concerns to human or environmental health. DER conducted multiple industry surveys to identify potential PFAS source sites and PFAS required sampling at existing remedial sites to ensure that PFAS are addressed. Through these efforts DER has identified numerous potential PFAS sites that require environmental investigations. Understanding how widespread PFAS are in New York’s environment is key to understanding how to address it going forward, leading DER to conduct a Rural Soil Background Study to better understand the amount of anthropogenic PFAS in soils that is not directly linked to a specific site or localized industrial source.

• PFAS Environmental Investigations
• Rural Soil Background Study

PFAS in Landfills and Biosolids

DEC’s Division of Materials Management (DMM) works with other DEC divisions with a specific focus on the waste stream and how that can lead to potential exposure to drinking water and the larger environment. Actions include: 

• Inactive Landfill Initiative
• Biosolids Management
• New York State Solid Waste Management Plan
   

PFAS in Water

DEC’s Division of Water (DOW) is addressing PFAS in New York’s waters by:

• Establishing water quality guidance values for our ambient waters
• Monitoring our ambient waters for PFAS
• Publishing PFAS monitoring data of ambient waters and SPDES permitted facilities publicly
• Developing and implementing strategies to address PFAS in State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permits, specifically:
  • Soliciting PFAS data from potential wastewater sources;
  • Requiring source trackdown programs; and
  • Adding effluent limitations and/or permit conditions where appropriate.

PFAS in Air

DEC’s Division of Air Resources (DAR) helps prevent the potential for PFAS to negatively impact the environment through air emissions sources. Actions taken include:

• Prioritizing PFAS in source air testing at PFAS-emitting facilities in New York State;
• Developing an inventory of potential PFAS sources (e.g., incinerators, fabric coaters, metal platers/finishers, wastewater treatment plants, landfills, etc.);
• Deriving additional ambient air guideline concentrations for different PFAS, as new science becomes available upon which to base those values with which New York State facilities will need to comply; and
• Ongoing tracking and quantifying the amount of PFAS in precipitation at urban and rural monitoring locations in New York State.

Learn more about guidelines for evaluating and controlling air contaminants.

PFAS in Fish and Wildlife

DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) is responsible for identifying, monitoring, and addressing exposure of fish and wildlife to environmental contaminants, including PFAS. Initiatives include: 

• Monitoring PFAS in fish and wildlife both to inform New York State Department of Health’s establishment of health advice for eating the fish you catch and to monitor trends and patterns of PFAS contamination in the environment;
• Analyzing fish and wildlife tissues for PFAS at Hale Creek Field Station;
• Providing technical support for the remediation and restoration of PFAS-contaminated remedial sites; and
• Developing standards and criteria for PFAS to protect fish and wildlife.

Videos of DFW’s contaminants work can be found at:

• On the Front Lines – Fish Collection
• Contaminant Analysis at Hale Creek Field Station