EPA Standardizes Test Method for More Perfluorinated Chemicals

Four compounds that have been contaminating drinking water now have a standardized EPA-approved laboratory testing method, reducing the need for commercial labs to invent their own.

The Environmental Protection Agency released the drinking water testing method for per- and polyfluorinated compounds Nov. 21. The updated method now covers GenX, a contaminant North Carolina environmental regulators have found in water near Chemours Co.'s Fayetteville plant.

Per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS) can be found in nonstick and stain-resistant coatings in clothing, fast-food wrappers, carpets, and other consumer and industrial products.

The EPA’s previous test method only covered 14 PFAS ...