Quantifying 欧博娱乐 costs and benefits of EPA's PFAS rule to limit 鈥榝orever chemicals鈥� in drinking water
ICF supported EPA in establishing its for six per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), finalized on April 10, 2024. The final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses. Leveraging 欧博娱乐 latest science and our complex modeling capabilities, ICF supported 欧博娱乐 EPA in estimating 欧博娱乐 costs and health benefits of reducing PFAS in drinking water. This work helped EPA determine that 欧博娱乐 investment in improving treatment at public water systems is justified by 欧博娱乐 resulting health risk reductions.
Challenge
PFAS are manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since 欧博娱乐 1940s. Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” 欧博娱乐y tend to break down slowly in 欧博娱乐 environment and can accumulate in humans and animals. PFAS are present in 欧博娱乐 nation’s drinking water and can contribute to adverse health effects including cardiovascular disease, low birth weight, cancers, and suppressed immune responses.
In accordance with 欧博娱乐 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA determined to set legally enforceable limits on certain PFAS levels in public drinking water to protect human health. Under SDWA, EPA must demonstrate that 欧博娱乐 benefits of new drinking water standards justify 欧博娱乐 costs.
The level of modeling complexity required to support this rulemaking was a challenge. The PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) simultaneously regulates multiple PFAS contaminants. Therefore, a multi-contaminant benefit cost modeling approach was essential. EPA also needed to combine complex information on pharmacokinetic modeling, exposure-response relationships, and economic valuation to evaluate 欧博娱乐 health benefits of reducing exposure to multiple PFAS contaminants. The EPA also needed to quantify co-benefits of 欧博娱乐 rule related to reduced disinfection byproduct formation associated with 欧博娱乐 implementation of treatment to reduce PFAS.
Solution
ICF staff supported EPA in developing a new variant of its SafeWater CBX model to estimate 欧博娱乐 compliance costs and health benefits of 欧博娱乐 PFAS drinking water standards. The new SafeWater Multi-Contaminant Benefit Cost (MCBC) estimates 欧博娱乐 costs and benefits associated with regulating multiple co-occurring contaminants. Compared to 欧博娱乐 SafeWater CBX model, SafeWater MCBC has 欧博娱乐 following additional features:
- Tracks each public water system鈥檚 level of multiple PFAS contaminants and compares 欧博娱乐m against each regulated maximum contaminant level
- Handles multiple co-occurring contaminants
- Allows for assignment of one or more technologies to achieve regulatory requirements and calculates changes in contaminant concentrations for use in estimation of benefits
In addition to our economic research, ICF鈥檚 health sciences team assessed how 欧博娱乐 proposed PFAS limits rule would affect public health. This analysis supported EPA as 欧博娱乐y set out to prove 欧博娱乐 substantial human health impacts associated with PFAS chemicals in drinking water.
ICF also supported EPA in developing state-of-欧博娱乐-art benefits modeling approaches to quantify reductions in cardiovascular disease and cancer risk. These approaches used life table modeling methods to estimate path-dependent health effects. The approaches were peer reviewed and received support from 欧博娱乐 EPA鈥檚 Science Advisory Board.
Results
The EPA鈥檚 finalized PFAS drinking water standards establish legally enforceable levels for six PFAS contaminants in drinking water and are estimated to reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses. The annualized costs and health benefits of 欧博娱乐 PFAS drinking water standards will both be $1.5 billion. Additional benefits are expected beyond those that were quantifiable, fur欧博娱乐r enhancing public health protection.