Taiwan moves to strengthen drinking water regulations

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) The government will strengthen the control of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water following the discovery of a correlation between PFAS exposure and an elevated risk of a range of illnesses including some types of cancer, a Ministry of Environment official said Monday.

As well as certain cancer types, a link was also found between PFAS and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, fertility problems and children's developmental disorders, the ministry said.

The ministry will issue a notice in late August amending the Drinking Water Quality Standards to ensure PFAS standards are on a par with Japan and Australia, according to Wang Yeuh-bin (王嶽斌), the head of the water quality protection division under the ministry.

The ministry published an amendment to the Categories and Management of Handling for Toxic Chemical Substances on April 24, adding types of PFAS including perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds (147 substances in total) to the list of strictly prohibited toxic chemical substances to comply with the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty aimed at eliminating or restricting the production and use of persistent organic pollutants to protect human health and the environment from their harmful effects.

Due to the high toxicity, PFHxS, its salts and related compounds are prohibited from being used in Taiwan other than for research, testing and education, according to the amendment.

PFAS may cause adverse health effects to humans if consumed in drinking water, the ministry said.

Therefore, the ministry tasked National Cheng Kung University with investigating drinking water contaminants last year.

As part of the program, chemicals within the PFAS family, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and PFHxS were each tested for 50 times, according to the ministry.

According to the university report, a higher-than-permitted PFOS level was detected once and an excess of PFHxS was found twice.

Wang told CNA that relevant government agencies have set up guidelines for detection methods and how to manage the chemicals.

As part of the guidelines, the total level of PFOA and PFOS would be capped at 50 nanograms per liter (ng/L). The total level of PFOS and PFHxS must be less than 70ng/L. These standards are the same as Australia's limits.

Legal procedures are in progress and the guidelines will be legislated in late August at the earliest, Wang said.

The new measures would make Taiwan the first Asian country to legalize PFAS drinking water quality standards.

In the future, if tests showed drinking water failed to meet standards, testing and improvement would be required within a time limit. Drinking water suppliers found to be in non-compliance with the standards could face a fine of NT$60,000 to NT$600,000 (US$1,850-US$18,500), Wang added.

Wang said that in addition to drinking water quality standards, subsequent regulations including water discharge standards and water pollution prevention and control measures will also be included in PFAS control regulations. Preparations for relevant legal work are currently underway.