On February 6, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a comprehensive action plan detailing the agency’s priorities for addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during the first year of the Trump administration. The initiative is aimed at mitigating PFAS contamination risks and supporting the broader objective of “Making America Healthy Again.”
Five Priority Action Areas
1. Chemical Regulation
The EPA will regulate both new and existing substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This includes requiring manufacturers to submit safety data and imposing restrictions on uses identified as harmful.
2. Drinking Water Protection
The agency plans to establish protective standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act and expand nationwide monitoring of public water systems to track PFAS contamination.
3. Cleanup of Contaminated Sites
Sites where PFAS levels exceed established safety thresholds will be addressed under federal environmental statutes, including the Superfund law, to ensure remediation and risk reduction.
4. Industrial Emissions Control
The EPA will strengthen oversight of PFAS releases into air and water from industrial sources under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
5. Research and Innovation
Efforts will focus on expanding scientific knowledge of the thousands of PFAS compounds in commerce and advancing new treatment and remediation technologies.
Strengthening PFAS Detection Capabilities
Core Detection Approaches
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Targeted Analysis: Precisely measures specific PFAS compounds from a predefined list.
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Non-Targeted Analysis: Utilizes advanced analytical tools to identify both known and previously unrecognized PFAS, enabling broader contamination assessments.
Multi-Layered Detection Strategies
1. Drinking Water
The EPA uses three principal laboratory methods to detect PFAS in drinking water, all employing highly sensitive instruments capable of identifying trace concentrations.
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One method analyzes 18 PFAS, including a compound associated with GenX.
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A second, earlier method measures 14 PFAS and is primarily used for comparison with historical data.
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A third, more advanced method detects 25 PFAS, offering enhanced analytical precision.
2. Surface Water and Other Media
The agency has also developed testing methods for PFAS in surface water, wastewater, and solid matrices.
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One method measure 24 PFAS in non-drinking water sources such as groundwater, rivers, lakes, and wastewater.
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Another method, developed jointly with the U.S. Department of Defense, can detect 40 PFAS in wastewater, surface water, groundwater, soil, sludge, sediment, landfill leachate, and fish tissue.
3. Air Monitoring
The EPA is advancing techniques to measure PFAS emissions into the atmosphere from industrial facilities.
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One method quantifies 50 PFAS associated with particulate matter or semi-volatile compounds.
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Another approach employs specialized metal canisters to capture and measure 30 more volatile PFAS compounds.
