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The United States Environmental Protection Agency is publishing in the Federal Register a notice of draft toxicity assessments for GenX chemicals and PFBS.

PFBS are titled Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid which include members of a larger group of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS include a group of man-made chemicals that include perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonate, and GenX chemicals.

PFAS properties include resistance to heat, water, and oil. Further, they have been described as persistent in the environment and resist degradation. The compounds have been used in various industrial applications of consumer products such as:

• Fabrics for furniture
• Paper packaging for food and other materials resistant to water, grease, or stain
• Firefighting airfields
• Utilization in several industrial processes

Potential human exposure to PFAS includes pathways through drinking water, air, or food.

EPA states that the draft assessments are part of the agency’s efforts to increase the amount of research and information publically available on chemicals in the PFAS family. It further states that once the draft toxicity assessments are final, it expects states, tribes and communities to use the information to assess risks.

The agency describes a toxicity assessment as a “written summary of the potential health effects associated with the chemical and identifies the levels at which those health effects may occur.”

A prepublication version of the Federal Register Notice can be found here.