National recommendations for health-based levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water resources have been issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Once final, these recommended criteria can be used by states and local regulators to set water quality standards that help protect people from exposure through consuming water, fish and shellfish from inland and nearshore waterbodies that may be polluted by these chemicals.

The recommended human health criteria identify concentrations of three PFAS in a water body at or below where they are not expected to cause adverse human health effects from chronic (lifetime) exposure. The three chemicals are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). Human health criteria are not regulatory requirements and do not, on their own, compel any action. They instead provide information for entities, including state and tribal regulators, to consider when making policy decisions that protect water quality.

The draft recommended human health criteria for PFOA, PFOS, and PFBS are based on the latest science, including final EPA human health assessments, fish consumption rates, drinking water intake rates, national bioaccumulation factors, and relative source contributions.

The agency is accepting written comments from the public on the draft human health criteria through February 2025.