How Waters is Helping to Solve the Global PFAS Problem

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of chemicals whose chemistry was discovered in the late 1930s. These compounds have a variety of characteristics such as the ability to repel grease, water, and oil as well as thermal and chemical stability. Because of these characteristics, the usage of these compounds became widespread in applications in non-stick coatings, food packaging, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, firefighting foams, and cosmetics, to name a few. The same characteristics also cause PFAS compounds to break down very slowly over time and accumulate in our bodies. There are thousands of PFAS chemical variants, adding to the difficulty of studying their impact on health.

While research is ongoing in evaluating the health impacts of the vast number of manufactured chemical compounds that are found in industry and consumer products, what we do know now is that three of the most researched PFAS compounds (PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS) have shown adverse health effects in people^1,2,3. 

Where are PFAS located and how harmful are they?

PFAS can be found in the environment, food, humans, flora, fauna, and rainwater globally.  Exposure routes include air, water, soil, and food. It is estimated that 97% of the US population has PFAS in their blood⁴. In a review of the current science by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, it was determined that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to certain PFAS compounds can lead to decreased antibody response, dyslipidemia, decreased infant and fetal growth, and increased risk of kidney cancer⁵.

Identifying contamination in our drinking water and food supply

The broad usage of PFAS compounds has led to concerns about exposure globally through drinking water, the environment, and our food. Detecting PFAS takes specialized equipment and analytical methods. Waters is helping to solve this problem through our technology and software, which provide the sensitivity, specificity, and compound confirmation needed to confidently screen against threats from industrial and agricultural applications in water, air, and soil. Being part of the solution is important. Our analytical technologies and methodologies help scientists and researchers around the world to study the prevalence of PFAS in the environment and food supply. Much of this work was done in response to regulatory requirements that governments across the globe have put in place to begin to understand the risk of exposure to their citizens and monitor the progress of clean-up efforts.

The technologies Waters is focused on in this area include:

• Sample preparation
• Liquid chromatography instruments
• Separation columns
• Tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry
• Quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry

Additionally, in support of regulatory reporting to government agencies, Waters ERA – known as a leader in the environmental testing accreditation market – built out programs for proficiency testing along with certified reference materials which are critical for laboratories to gain PFAS testing accreditation.

Understanding behavior and awareness

Recently, we conducted a research survey* of 1,000 adults in the U.S. to better evaluate consumer behavior, understanding of the PFAS chemical compounds that exist in our communities, and the potential impact on our lives. These surveys help deliver a current understanding of PFAS and we gain broader insights into the customers we serve. The findings are summarized below:

• More than half of respondents (57%) did not know what PFAS are and don’t know enough about them to have an impression. A very small percentage (18%) knew what they are and believe they are both essential and useful for consumer products/industries and harmful to the environment/human health.
• 67% said they would be very surprised or somewhat surprised to know that PFAS are contained in their drinking water and some of the products they may use. Similarly, 76% said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned that PFAS are contained in their drinking water and some of the products they may use.
• A majority of consumers (81%) said they need more education.
• A person’s age is indicative of how surprised they are to know that PFAS are contained in their drinking water and the products they use. Millennials and Gen Z had the highest percentage of being very surprised to know that PFAS are contained in their drinking water and products.

• 18-25 (Gen Z): 34%
• 26-41 (Millennials): 38%
• 42-57 (Gen X): 28%
• 58-76 (Baby boomers): 28%
• 77+: 29%

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A global eye on PFAS

While not all countries have environmental testing requirements in place, a good number of proactive steps are being taken by others. In response to growing evidence of the harmful effects of PFAS, many changes and regulations have been proposed around the world such as:

• In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a national drinking water standard that limits the amount of certain PFAS compounds that can be present in drinking water supplies based on toxicological studies.
• The national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to restrict the use and manufacturing of PFAS substances.
• The European Union has limits in place restricting the amount of PFAS that can be present in water and more recently in certain foods.

The impact of PFAS continues to be researched and our understanding improved. Waters instruments are helping our customers to identify PFAS at very low levels to study their persistence and toxicity, as governments work to develop plans to remove them from our environment. Through our customer collaboration, we continue to refine and improve our instruments, software, and chemistries that enable scientists and innovators around the world to ensure the safety of food and water. It is part of our overall commitment to leave the world better than we found it.

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Additional Resources:

Waters 2022 ESG Report

Blog: Solving Problems for the Next Generation

Blog: How Do Food Safety Laboratories Test for Acrylamide?

References:

1 OECD (2002) Co-operation on existing chemicals:  Hazard assessment of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and its salts.  (ENV/JM/RD(2002) 17/FINAL) http://www.oecd.ord/chemicalsafety/riskassessment/2382880.pdf

2. UNEP (2016b) Risk profile on pentadecfluorooctanoic acid (CAS No: 335-67-1, PFOA, perfluorooctanoic acid), its salts and PFOA-related compounds (UNEP/POPS/PORC.12/11/Add.2.).  Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

3. UNEP (2018)  Risk profile on perfluorhxane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds (UNEP/POPS/PORC.14/6/Add.1). Secretariat of the Basil, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

4. Lewis RC, Johns LE, Meeker JD. 2015. Serum Biomarkers of Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Relation to Serum Testosterone and Measures of Thyroid Function among Adults and Adolescents from NHANES 2011–2012. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 12(6): 6098–6114.

5. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26156.

*Survey Disclaimer:

The study was conducted by Dynata, a third-party survey platform. The survey was of 1,000 consumers over 18 years old. Results were received on April 5, 2023.