Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)

Ayer DPW Water Division

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. PFOS and other perfluorinated chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and they accumulate in people. Click here to read more about perfluorinated chemicals.

 

237

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

132

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014N/A00N/A
2015N/A00N/A
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
201810.9 ppt11113.57 ppt - 32.0 ppt
20196.81 ppt992.00 ppt - 10.5 ppt
202010.8 ppt3029ND - 51.7 ppt
20216.22 ppt6438ND - 41.7 ppt
20221.91 ppt4913ND - 24.2 ppt
20231.49 ppt7432ND - 31.0 ppt
2024N/A00N/A

ppt = parts per trillion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.3 ppt

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.3 ppt for PFOS was defined by EPA's final toxicity value from the Office of Water’s Final Human Health Toxicity Assessment. This health guideline protects againat cardiovascular harm and harm to fetal growth.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 4 ppt

ppt = parts per trillion

All test results

Date Result
2018-01-0932.0 ppt
2018-01-099.00 ppt
2018-01-0920.0 ppt
2018-03-017.00 ppt
2018-03-077.00 ppt
2018-04-235.00 ppt
2018-04-235.00 ppt
2018-08-247.82 ppt
2018-08-243.57 ppt
2018-10-258.05 ppt
2018-10-2515.4 ppt
2019-02-209.31 ppt
2019-02-2010.5 ppt
2019-05-218.45 ppt
2019-08-204.57 ppt
2019-08-207.33 ppt
2019-11-112.00 ppt
2019-11-187.77 ppt
2019-12-106.40 ppt
2019-12-105.00 ppt
2020-02-133.36 ppt
2020-02-1341.4 ppt
2020-02-139.59 ppt
2020-02-1312.8 ppt
2020-02-133.92 ppt
2020-02-137.66 ppt
2020-02-131.95 ppt
2020-02-1316.5 ppt
2020-02-138.68 ppt
2020-06-0951.7 ppt
2020-06-093.67 ppt
2020-06-097.06 ppt
2020-06-095.85 ppt
2020-06-096.24 ppt
2020-06-0910.1 ppt
2020-06-0914.9 ppt
2020-06-095.75 ppt
2020-06-093.52 ppt
2020-09-026.82 ppt
2020-09-027.34 ppt
2020-09-026.36 ppt
2020-12-037.38 ppt
2020-12-033.81 ppt
2020-12-036.67 ppt
2020-12-0341.4 ppt
2020-12-0315.5 ppt
2020-12-035.36 ppt
2020-12-033.90 ppt
2020-12-03ND
2020-12-034.28 ppt
2021-01-086.84 ppt
2021-01-086.50 ppt
2021-01-08ND
2021-01-08ND
2021-01-084.68 ppt
2021-01-0833.2 ppt
2021-01-084.70 ppt
2021-01-08ND
2021-01-085.26 ppt
2021-01-085.94 ppt
2021-01-0820.1 ppt
2021-02-227.30 ppt
2021-02-221.34 ppt
2021-02-224.50 ppt
2021-02-226.72 ppt
2021-02-22ND
2021-03-2418.2 ppt
2021-03-24ND
2021-03-246.52 ppt
2021-04-280.874 ppt
2021-04-286.38 ppt
2021-04-28ND
2021-05-18ND
2021-05-18ND
2021-05-186.94 ppt
2021-05-1821.1 ppt
2021-06-0941.7 ppt
2021-06-0941.7 ppt
2021-06-095.01 ppt
2021-06-094.21 ppt
2021-06-094.21 ppt
2021-06-095.12 ppt
2021-06-095.12 ppt
2021-06-095.01 ppt
2021-06-107.51 ppt
2021-06-10ND
2021-06-10ND
2021-06-1023.2 ppt
2021-06-10ND
2021-06-10ND
2021-07-21ND
2021-07-21ND
2021-07-216.72 ppt
2021-07-2119.2 ppt
2021-08-1917.3 ppt
2021-08-19ND
2021-08-196.48 ppt
2021-08-19ND
2021-08-19ND
2021-09-247.00 ppt
2021-09-24ND
2021-09-240.587 ppt
2021-10-147.23 ppt
2021-10-14ND
2021-10-14ND
2021-11-127.64 ppt
2021-11-12ND
2021-11-12ND
2021-12-029.26 ppt
2021-12-026.86 ppt
2021-12-02ND
2021-12-10ND
2021-12-10ND
2021-12-10ND
2022-01-04ND
2022-01-04ND
2022-01-044.69 ppt
2022-02-03ND
2022-02-035.94 ppt
2022-02-03ND
2022-02-243.73 ppt
2022-02-241.96 ppt
2022-02-24ND
2022-02-2421.5 ppt
2022-03-07ND
2022-03-076.16 ppt
2022-03-07ND
2022-04-21ND
2022-04-21ND
2022-04-216.26 ppt
2022-04-254.20 ppt
2022-04-253.06 ppt
2022-04-2524.2 ppt
2022-05-13ND
2022-05-13ND
2022-05-136.10 ppt
2022-06-095.23 ppt
2022-06-09ND
2022-06-09ND
2022-07-20ND
2022-07-20ND
2022-07-20ND
2022-07-20ND
2022-08-11ND
2022-08-11ND
2022-08-11ND
2022-08-11ND
2022-09-08ND
2022-09-080.770 ppt
2022-09-08ND
2022-09-08ND
2022-10-12ND
2022-10-12ND
2022-10-12ND
2022-10-12ND
2022-11-07ND
2022-11-07ND
2022-11-07ND
2022-11-07ND
2022-12-01ND
2022-12-01ND
2022-12-01ND
2022-12-01ND
2023-01-05ND
2023-01-050.639 ppt
2023-01-05ND
2023-01-05ND
2023-02-01ND
2023-02-01ND
2023-02-010.682 ppt
2023-02-01ND
2023-03-03ND
2023-03-03ND
2023-03-203.22 ppt
2023-03-200.816 ppt
2023-03-200.867 ppt
2023-03-20ND
2023-03-202.08 ppt
2023-04-10ND
2023-04-101.09 ppt
2023-04-10ND
2023-04-100.795 ppt
2023-04-10ND
2023-04-100.876 ppt
2023-04-10ND
2023-04-100.747 ppt
2023-04-100.843 ppt
2023-04-100.972 ppt
2023-05-02ND
2023-05-02ND
2023-05-04ND
2023-05-04ND
2023-05-04ND
2023-05-041.16 ppt
2023-05-084.80 ppt
2023-05-084.63 ppt
2023-05-0831.0 ppt
2023-06-06ND
2023-06-06ND
2023-06-061.36 ppt
2023-06-06ND
2023-07-14ND
2023-07-140.746 ppt
2023-07-14ND
2023-07-141.23 ppt
2023-08-074.57 ppt
2023-08-076.69 ppt
2023-08-08ND
2023-08-081.83 ppt
2023-08-08ND
2023-08-08ND
2023-09-13ND
2023-09-13ND
2023-09-131.95 ppt
2023-09-131.62 ppt
2023-09-1318.2 ppt
2023-09-13ND
2023-09-133.56 ppt
2023-09-13ND
2023-09-134.48 ppt
2023-09-130.738 ppt
2023-09-13ND
2023-09-132.08 ppt
2023-10-04ND
2023-10-04ND
2023-10-04ND
2023-10-041.88 ppt
2023-11-07ND
2023-11-07ND
2023-11-20ND
2023-11-20ND
2023-11-20ND
2023-11-201.60 ppt
2023-12-08ND
2023-12-08ND
2023-12-08ND
2023-12-082.21 ppt