Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, are a family of nearly 5,000 chemicals now pervasive in the environment. Called “forever chemicals,” they do not break down and can bioaccumulate in both humans and other living organisms. Some PFAS are toxic.
Minnesota requires a strategic, coordinated approach to protecting families and communities from these ubiquitous substances.
In Minnesota, PFAS contamination was first measured in the eastern Twin Cities in the early 2000s. Since then, PFAS have been detected in water, sediment, soil, and fish all across Minnesota. PFAS are in air emissions from industrial facilities, wastewater from industrial and municipal sources, soil and water surrounding firefighting training sites, groundwater surrounding landfills, and are sometimes found with no obvious source at all.
Scientists and environmental regulators have reached an overwhelming consensus that significant actions are needed to prevent adverse impacts from PFAS. While management and mitigation actions have significant positive effects, ultimately Minnesota cannot clean our way out of the PFAS problem. Instead, the pollution must be prevented from the outset through restrictions or bans on PFAS uses and assistance and financial support for reformulation.
Minnesota's PFAS Blueprint
Short- and long-term opportunities to manage PFAS in our environment and protect families and communities.
Minnesota's strategy for PFAS
- prevent PFAS pollution wherever possible
- manage PFAS pollution when prevention is not feasible or pollution has already occurred
- clean up PFAS pollution at contaminated sites
Ten priorities to protect communities and families
Working together, Minnesota state agencies developed Minnesota’s PFAS Blueprint to support a holistic and systematic approach to address PFAS concerns in ten key issue areas. The significant interconnections and overlaps between different areas illustrate the complexity and difficulty of managing PFAS.
Measuring PFAS effectively and consistently
State agencies have developed multiple efforts to ensure consistent and accurate PFAS analytical results. Despite this important work, it is currently impossible to quantitatively measure the vast majority of PFAS in the environment.
Understanding risks from PFAS air emissions
Federal and state governments have not developed PFAS health screening values for air as there is limited research about the toxicity of PFAS from air exposure. Minnesota also has limited information on which facilities emit PFAS to the air.
Quantifying PFAS risk to human health
Risk assessments are needed to ensure that levels of contaminants in the environment are protective of the community’s health.
Preventing PFAS pollution
Pollution prevention approaches are designed to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and prevent the need for expensive treatment and remediation efforts. More work is required to prevent non-essential uses and releases of PFAS.
Limiting PFAS exposure from drinking water
Minnesotans value safe and sufficient drinking water. MDH has planned for, and has ongoing monitoring efforts in place, that will cover at least 90 percent of people served by community water systems by 2025.
Limiting PFAS exposure from food
Minnesotans should have confidence that their food is safe from harmful toxins. Research has shown that PFAS can accumulate into produce and livestock from contaminated water, air, soil, and animal feed or migrate into food from PFAS-coated cookware and food packaging.
Reducing PFAS exposure from fish and game consumption
Hunting and fishing are a way of life in Minnesota. Continued research of PFAS in fish and wildlife has indicated that some compounds can accumulate in commonly consumed fish and game tissue. More work is required to ensure safe consumption of fish and game is maintained for future generations.
Protecting ecosystem health
New research models and tools for ecological risk assessments are being designed for the unique physical and chemical properties of PFAS. Using new data and research, Minnesota can ensure its ecosystems are healthy and diverse.
Remediating PFAS-contaminated sites
While state agencies have developed several health-based clean-up values, Minnesota does not have a comprehensive list of PFAS uses in manufacturing and industrial processes and a comprehensive understanding of risks to human health. More information is needed to determine the locations of and risks posed by possible releases of PFAS into the environment.
Managing PFAS in waste
Because widespread use in products, PFAS are entering Minnesota’s waste streams and going to solid waste facilities and wastewater treatment plants where it is difficult and expensive to address. The most strategic approach to managing PFAS is preventing them from entering waste streams in the first place.