Contents:
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s (FSANZ) report on Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food – April 2017
- Health Based Guidance Values for PFAS for use in site investigations in Australia – September 2019
- Independent review of enHealth’s interim Health Based Guidance Values for use in site investigations in Australia – August 2016
- Interim Health Based Guidance Values for PFAS for use in site investigations in Australia – June 2016
Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s (FSANZ) report on Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food
In 2016, the Department of Health commissioned FSANZ to develop health based guidance values for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and, based on these health based guidance values, conduct a dietary exposure assessment and provide advice on possible risk management options.
In April 2017, the Department of Health published FSANZ’s report on Perfluorinated Chemicals is Food (the report) which includes the derivation of the health based guidance values for site investigations in Australia, a dietary exposure assessment and risk management advice for authorities investigating PFAS contamination.
Based on FSANZ’s recommended tolerable daily intake, NHMRC has issued drinking water quality and recreational water quality guideline values for use in site investigations in Australia. These health based guideline values are levels at which the chemicals may be present in drinking or recreational water without presenting a risk to public health.
Plain English summaries, including FAQs, of the key components of FSANZ’s advice, and the full Report are available below:
- Summary of the Consolidated Report – Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food (PDF 94 KB)
- Summary of the Consolidated Report – Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food (Word 41 KB)
- Summary of the Hazard Assessment Report – PFOS, PFOA & PFHxS (PDF 144 KB)
- Summary of the Hazard Assessment Report – PFOS, PFOA & PFHxS (Word 62 KB)
- Summary of the Dietary Exposure Assessment (PDF 113 KB)
- Summary of the Dietary Exposure Assessment (Word 39 KB)
- Frequently Asked Questions – FSANZ Report (PDF 136 KB)
- Frequently Asked Questions – FSANZ Report (Word 485 KB)
The full report, including all supporting documentation, is available below:
Consolidated Report - Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food
- Consolidated Report - Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food (PDF 339 KB)
- Consolidated Report - Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food (Word 113 KB)
Supporting Document 1: Hazard Assessment Report – PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS
- Supporting Document 1: Hazard Assessment Report – PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS (PDF 3871 KB)
- Supporting Document 1: Hazard Assessment Report – PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS (Word 3565 KB)
Supporting Document 2: Dietary Exposure Assessment
- Supporting Document 2: Dietary Exposure Assessment (PDF 795 KB)
- Supporting Document 2: Dietary Exposure Assessment (Word 345 KB)
Supporting Document 3: Summary of Other Controls for Perfluorinated Chemicals
- Supporting Document 3: Summary of Other Controls for Perfluorinated Chemicals (PDF 203 KB)
- Supporting Document 3: Summary of Other Controls for Perfluorinated Chemicals (Word 76 KB)
Supporting Document 4: Criteria for the Establishment of Maximum Levels in Food
- Supporting Document 4: Criteria for the Establishment of Maximum Levels in Food (PDF 194 KB)
- Supporting Document 4: Criteria for the Establishment of Maximum Levels in Food (Word 74 KB)
On 3 April 2017, the Australian Government’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy announced the publication of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Perfluorinated Chemicals in Food report.
Health Based Guidance Values for PFAS for use in site investigations in Australia
The Department of Health has released health based guidance values for PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS for use in site investigations and human health risk assessments in Australia.
The health based guidance values are expressed as a tolerable daily intake (TDI) and can be used for assessing potential exposure to PFAS through food, drinking water and recreational water during site investigations for PFAS contamination in Australia.
More information is available in the health based guidance values factsheet below:
- Health Based Guidance Values Factsheet (PDF 150 KB)
- Health Based Guidance Values Factsheet (Word 86 KB)
Interim Health Based Guidance Values (HBGVs) for PFAS for use in site investigations in Australia
The interim HBGVs adopted by Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) have now been replaced. For the current health based guidance values for site investigations in Australia, please see the section above, ‘Health Based Guidance Values for PFAS for use in site investigations in Australia’.
Interim national guidance was developed by enHealth, which is a subcommittee of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), to assist relevant authorities in assessing any public health risks associated with the contamination of sites in Australia with PFAS. The guidance included HBGVs, in the form of a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) for use in assessing food, drinking water and recreational water.
This interim guidance was endorsed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on 15 June 2016.
In its interim national guidance, enHealth recommended that FSANZ undertake an assessment of the available toxicity data of PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS and publish relevant reference values to replace the interim toxicity reference values recommended by enHealth.
In June 2016, the Australian Government Department of Health commissioned Food Standards Australia New Zealand to develop advice on health based guidance values for PFOS, PFHxS and PFOA for Australia.
On 4 August 2016, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, announced the appointment of Adjunct Professor Andrew Bartholomaeus to conduct an independent review of the interim human health reference values used to set guideline values for PFAS in drinking water.
The Review confirmed that the interim values adopted by enHealth were appropriate and protective of public health. The Review supported the adoption by enHealth of standards set by the European Food Safety Authority for use in site-specific human health risk assessments, as an interim measure.
A summary of the key findings of the independent review of enHealth's interim values can be accessed below.
- Review of enHealth's interim reference values for PFAS - summary (PDF 93 KB)
- Review of enHealth's interim reference values for FAS - summary (Word 32 KB)
The full report of the independent review is available below.
- Review of enHealth's interim reference values for PFAS - full report (PDF 1268 KB)
- Review of enHealth's interim reference values for PFAS - full report (Word 272 KB)
The interim health reference values have been replaced. The enHealth values were always meant to be interim until such time as FSANZ completed its review that takes into account the data, parameters and methodology that are most suitable to Australia. More information on the current guidance values is available in the section Health Based Guidance Values for PFAS for use in site investigations in Australia above.