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RIVM proposes water quality standards for PFOA. This perfluoro compound has been used for the production of teflon and is found in many surface waters around the world. The quality standard for chronic exposure accounts for the accumulation of PFOA in fish. Using this information, RIVM calculated a safe concentration in water of 48 nanograms per liter, which is protective for lifetime consumption of fish by humans and wildlife. For this research an extensive overview was made of the scientific data on effects of PFOA on aquatic organisms and the accumulation in biota. Based on the oral risk limit for humans as derived recently by RIVM, a maximum allowable concentration in fish was calculated assuming a lifetime daily consumption. This biota standard is converted to an equivalent safe concentration in water using information on the uptake of PFOA from water by fish. Data on bioaccumulation are needed because the water quality standard for ecological effects on aquatic organisms is not sufficiently protective for food chain effects. PFOA has a relatively low toxicity for water organisms, but may pose a problem when entering the food chain via fish. The use of PFOA is restricted by European law, but it can still reach the environment from PFOA-containing products that were produced in the past. Because of its high persistence, emissions will lead to long term presence in the environment. An initial comparison with monitoring data indicates that the safe concentration derived in this research is not exceeded in Dutch surface waters.

The municipality of Dordrecht commissioned the RIVM to derive risk limits for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in soil and groundwater. The local government can determine if the quality of the soil and groundwater can cause risks to humans and the environment, and if measures are needed. The contamination with PFOA is probably caused in the end of the last Century. PFOA was used by Dupont/Chemours in Dordrecht up to 2012 for the production of polymers. This report derives generic risk limits for soil and groundwater according the method for deriving Intervention Values. This approach takes into account exposure of men and the environment from contamination in soil and groundwater. Additionally site-specific (or soil use specific risk limits have been derived for soil and groundwater for different types of land use. It is focusing on residential and industrial areas, taking into account the relevant exposure routes. The municipality can use the derived risk limits to develop a policy depending on the land use and for the reuse of soil in the municipality.