advertentiePFAS Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) is a large group of chemical substances that often occur simultaneously in food and drinking water. To assess the potential health effects of these mixtures, the World Health Organization (WHO World Health Organization (World Health Organization)) is working on a risk assessment. RIVM has compiled overviews of available methods for risk assessment of PFAS.
The first overview discusses methods to map the risks of exposure to PFAS Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) via food and drinking water. It has been examined whether PFAS in mixtures can influence each other, for example by enhancing or weakening each others effects. Scientific literature shows that PFAS often work in a similar way in the body. This allows for the assessment to rely on dose addition: the amounts of different substances can be summed together.
The second overview describes ways to establish health-based limits for both individual PFAS and their mixtures. This includes identifying harmful effects, determining the amount at which they occur, and applying assessment factors. For mixtures, additional steps are involved, such as classifying PFAS into groups with similar health effects.
RIVM has been asked by the WHO World Health Organization (World Health Organization) to advise on which method for PFAS is best. A definitive recommendation is not possible at this time. However, RIVM provides some preferences. RIVM prefers a so-called component-based approach. This approach relies on information about the individual substances in a mixture, rather than the mixture as a whole. This is relevant because PFAS can occur in many different combinations.
WHO uses this information to make choices for the final risk assessment of PFAS mixtures in food and drinking water in the next phase.