Dramatic gulf between global PFAS guidelines and those in the US
By 
Rebecca Trager2022-10-19T13:30:00
The World Health Organization’s new drinking water guidance for PFOA and PFOS is thousands of times less stringent than the EPA’s
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) has issued new draft drinking water guidelines for two particular per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These suggested safe levels are dramatically less stringent than the lifetime health advisories that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued in June, that have left the US chemical industry reeling.
Issued on 29 September, the WHO’s draft guidelines cover perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which are two of the best known and well-studied of the estimated 12,000 PFAS compounds in existence. They are linked to a host of serious health effects, including suppressed vaccine response, cardiovascular problems and cancer.