The NSW Parliamentary Research Service has published a new paper on
regulation of different types of PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals.'
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used chemicals that do not readily break down in the environment. Because PFAS have been linked with adverse health effects, cases of drinking water contamination have prompted considerable community concern in NSW. However, the 3 types of PFAS currently regulated in drinking water in Australia (PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS) represent only a small fraction of the thousands of types of PFAS.
Data on the health effects of these other PFAS types are limited, but it is clear that some have the potential to be as harmful as PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS, others seem to be less harmful, and all are environmentally persistent. Regulators face considerable challenges in determining which of these PFAS warrant regulation. This paper considers case studies of how different jurisdictions have approached these challenges, which PFAS they have chosen to regulate, and current debates that are shaping these decisions.
