DuPont Accepts New PFOA Standards Proposed by EPA

By Christy Burns

Published on November 27, 2006

Teflon is made with ammonium perfluorooctoanate, commonly referred to as C8 or PFOA. In recent months, PFOA and Teflon production has been blamed for contaminating drinking-water supplies near DuPont’s Washington Works plant on the Ohio River.

It remains unknown whether Teflon and ammonium perfluorooctoanate are toxic to humans. However, a number of studies have recently surfaced claiming that PFOA can lead to developmental problems in animals.

The temporarily tightened standards are 300 times stricter than the previous threshold, and force DuPont to filter the water or supply residents with an alternative water source should the level of PFOA exceed 0.50 parts per billion. A March 2002 agreement had set forth similar conditions, but PFOA levels were allowed to reach 150 ppb before the company was required to act.

DuPont is currently complying with a settlement from a 2004 class-action lawsuit by providing free health screenings for 70,000 Ohio and West Virginia residents. According to the EPA, the company has agreed to phase out the use of PFOA by 2015.

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