HARTFORD— In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on July 30 demanded swift action after dangerous levels of PFAS were detected in bottled water sourced from Spring Hill Dairy in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

On July 2, 2019 the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (Mass DPH) issued a notice recommending that pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants avoid drinking certain brands of spring water bottled by Spring Hill Farm Dairy. The recommendation came after PFAS were detected at levels Mass DPH recommends not be consumed by bottle-fed infants or by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. A review by Blumenthal’s office found that some of these brands were available for sale in Connecticut.

“Given the widespread persistence of PFAS in our environment and drinking water, many people have turned to bottled water to avoid adding toxins to their bodies. In light of this, it is especially concerning that bottled water may contain PFAS in unsafe concentrations. My constituents, as well as many other Americans, continue to be exposed to these toxic substances. I urge the FDA act expeditiously to tackle this national crisis in consultation with other federal agencies,” wrote Blumenthal.

The FDA currently has no standard for PFAS in food products, including bottled water. In his letter, Blumenthal urged the agency to take immediate action to institute an acceptable health standards for PFAS by:

*Immediately setting and enforcing a concentration limit of 70 ppt for five combined PFAS chemicals in ground and bottled water;

*Setting and enforcing limits of 14 ppt for PFOA and 13 ppt for PFOS in ground and bottled water;

*Setting and enforcing limits on concentrations of both short-chain and long-chain PFAS in all foods, despite the agency’s history of focusing on long-chain substances;

*Considering consumers’ cumulative exposure to PFAS, including through diets and the environment, when setting concentration limits in foods and bottled water; and

*Using the most recent science and update thresholds accordingly as new evidence emerges.