17. September 2026, Topic: Aquatic Ecotoxicology Soil Ecotoxicology Sediment Ecotoxicology Risk Assessment
Regulatory changes regarding PFAS-contaminated food and drinking water: greater priority should be given to health protection
The Ecotox Centre, together with other researchers, contributed to and coordinated a statement by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences. The researchers welcome the introduction of a new maximum limit in drinking water for four critical PFAS compounds, but state that the limit is several times too high. Furthermore, they argue that the newly permitted practice of mixing highly contaminated foodstuffs is inadequate for ensuring the protection of public health.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent chemical compounds that can be found everywhere in the environment, including in food and drinking water, and which can also adversely affect human health. The federal government’s draft ordinance tightens the current maximum levels for drinking water and also proposes a separate maximum level for four critical PFAS compounds. Whilst the researchers support this strategy, they consider the proposed maximum level of 20 nanograms per litre for the critical PFAS to be too high to ensure the protection of public health. Furthermore, the federal government has proposed that, during a transitional period, PFAS-contaminated foodstuffs may be mixed with uncontaminated ones so that they can continue to be sold. This proposal is rejected, as it does not reduce PFAS contamination in the food chain or human exposure, but merely redistributes it, and could reduce the incentive to remediate PFAS hotspots.
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