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KDHE briefed committee on PFAS: persistence, monitoring, and anticipated federal rules
Summary
Leo Henning of KDHE presented an informational briefing on PFAS — their persistence, common sources, recent EPA actions, monitoring results in Kansas, and anticipated cleanup and testing challenges — and answered questions about potential impacts to drinking water, livestock and biosolids management.
Leo Henning, director of the Division of Environment at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, briefed the committee on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, describing their chemical persistence, common uses, monitoring findings in Kansas and likely regulatory developments.
Henning explained PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals characterized by strong carbon–fluorine bonds that resist natural degradation. He listed common uses — firefighting foams (AFFF), nonstick cookware (Teflon), stain repellents for textiles, and grease-resistant food packaging — and said those properties explain the chemicals’ persistence in soil, water, biosolids and landfill leachate.
Henning said EPA has begun promulgating drinking-water standards for six PFAS chemicals with maximum contaminant levels in the range of 4 to 10 parts per trillion…
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