Australia's CRC CARE has developed risk-based guidance for the assessment, management and remediation of site contamination for perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOS and PFOA belong to a large group of compounds called per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are highly persistent, bioaccumulative and potentially toxic to humans and the environment. PFOS and PFOA have historically been used to improve the ability of fire-fighting foam to smother fire. In such ‘aqueous film-forming foams’, or AFFFs, these chemicals have been used on fires at many thousands of emergency and training sites worldwide over the past half-century. They are also widely used to treat fabrics and leather, and in paper products, non-stick cookware, food packaging and insecticides.

The CRC CARE guidance includes:

human health screening levels (HSLs) and ecological screening levels (ESLs) for PFOS and PFOA contamination in soil, groundwater, surface water and sediment
a framework and discussion regarding the application of these screening values
a risk-based approach to the management and remediation of PFOS and PFOA contamination.

The guidance comprises a package of five related but stand-alone documents:

Additional resources also available for download include:

PFAS health screening level spreadsheet tool (an MS Excel-based sensitivity tool that includes the calculations for HSLs)
Background information on the derivation of screening levels for PFAS.

For more information, including details of proficiency studies for PFOS and PFOA conducted by the National Measurement Institute, please visit the PFOS & PFOA guidelines section of our website. The reports can also be downloaded, along with all other CRC CARE guidance, via our Technical Reports webpage.

Note: the CRC CARE guidance should be regarded as both draft and interim, particularly in relation to health-based screening values. If revised health reference values are endorsed by enHealth or another major Australian health-based agency, the health-derived values in CRC CARE’s guidance will be updated accordingly and the guidance re-issued.‎

Paul Nathanail