EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program released a draft toxicological review of perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) today, signaling another step in the agency’s ongoing research and regulatory initiatives focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This particular PFAS will be interesting to monitor because it is a breakdown product of other PFAS that may enter the environment through wastewater discharges, post-consumer product use and disposal, and other avenues. PFHxA has been detected in surface and groundwater, raising the potential for exposure through drinking water, but EPA is also evaluating other exposure pathways, including inhalation and dermal contact. Water sector followers can gain valuable insight in predicting future potential regulatory actions related to PFAS by monitoring EPA’s toxicity research and draft assessment process, as understanding and quantifying a chemical’s potential toxicity is foundational to whether and how the agency might later decide to regulate it.

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Dave Ross is a partner in the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources practice. He has more than 20 years of experience across a broad spectrum of challenging environmental and natural resources issues and is recognized as one of the leading experts on water…

Dave Ross is a partner in the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources practice. He has more than 20 years of experience across a broad spectrum of challenging environmental and natural resources issues and is recognized as one of the leading experts on water law and policy in the United States. Dave specializes in providing cutting edge legal advice at the intersection of law, policy, and science, and has worked in local, state, and federal government in addition to serving as an environmental consultant and attorney in private practice. Having worked as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, a government attorney and private practitioner, and an environmental consultant and policy advisor, Dave brings a unique perspective to difficult business questions and problems. He has testified before Congress, argued in court, given hundreds of speeches, and is equally adept at providing strategic counseling in the boardroom and in the field.