PFAS Crisis in the US: New EPA Limits Shake the Treatment Sector

The Fight Against "Forever Chemicals" Accelerates

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a 4 nanogram per liter limit for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water — an extraordinarily low threshold. In force from 2026, the rule is reshaping the wastewater and drinking water treatment sector. PFAS regulation is being described as one of the most far-reaching environmental compliance programs of the past two decades.

Why Are PFAS So Dangerous?

PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals that do not degrade in nature and accumulate in the human body. They have been widely used in non-stick cookware coatings, firefighting foam, water-repellent textiles, food packaging and electronics manufacturing. Key characteristics:

• An estimated 200 million people in the US are exposed to PFAS-contaminated drinking water
• Linked to cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage and immune system weakening
• Half-life in the human body: 3 to 8 years
• Environmental degradation time: thousands of years
• Easy migration from soil to groundwater

EPA's New Limits

In its rule announced in April 2024 and effective in 2026, the EPA set drinking water levels for six PFAS compounds. The limit is 4 ng/L for PFOA and PFOS, while a hazard index approach is applied to four other compounds. The new limits make advanced treatment steps mandatory at typical drinking water plants — steps that were not standard in earlier regulation.

Treatment Methods

Conventional biological treatment is ineffective against PFAS. Proven technologies include:

• Granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration
• Ion exchange resins (anion exchange resins)
• High-pressure reverse osmosis
• Supercritical water oxidation (advanced, still expensive)
• Plasma-based destruction (pilot stage)
• Foam fractionation (for pre-concentration)

GAC and ion exchange are currently the most widespread commercial solutions. Supercritical water oxidation and plasma technologies are among the few "destructive" methods that actually break PFAS down.

Cost and Market Size

Compliance cost is the sector's biggest financial test:

• Total US compliance cost: 47 billion dollars (10-year horizon)
• Average investment per facility: 1.2 to 8 million dollars
• Operational cost increase: 0.15 to 0.40 dollars per cubic meter
• 2030 market size projection: 18 billion dollars
• Affected facilities in the US: roughly 6,500

Europe's Position

The EU is considering one of the broadest PFAS restriction proposals in the world. Under its Chemicals Strategy, restricting or banning more than 10,000 PFAS compounds is on the table. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and the Nordic countries are leading the push. The EU drinking water directive is also tightening PFAS limits, with thresholds of 100 ng/L for total PFAS and 500 ng/L for "PFAS sum 20."

The Industrial Dimension

PFAS is not only a drinking water issue — source control in industrial wastewater is gaining importance. Textile finishing plants, metal plating facilities, firefighting training grounds and electronics manufacturing sites are among the largest PFAS dischargers. Several countries have started requiring PFAS removal in industrial wastewater before discharge.

Implications for Turkey

PFAS is not yet on the regulatory radar in Turkey, and national legislation does not directly set PFAS limits. But for textile, plating and electronics sectors that export to the EU, the requirement enters the agenda indirectly. Through EU Green Deal and CBAM alignment, PFAS monitoring in industrial wastewater looks set to take hold within the medium term. Sector analysts emphasise that monitoring infrastructure and laboratory capacity will need to develop quickly in Turkey over the next three years. The pace and starting sectors of regulation in Turkey remain uncertain, but the global trend is clearly toward tighter PFAS control.