The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to evaluate many PFAS for potential human and ecological effects. Most of the hundreds of PFAS currently in commerce have limited or no toxicity data, and if EPA attempts to research them one at a time, it will be impossible for EPA to expeditiously understand, let alone address, the risks of these substances may pose to human health and the environment. To address this data gap and fundamentally advance our understanding of these substances, EPA has developed this National PFAS Testing Strategy (Strategy) to deepen understanding of the impacts of PFAS, including potential hazards to human health and the environment. This Strategy will help EPA identify and select PFAS for which the Agency will require testing using Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) authorities. The Strategy develops categories of PFAS based on information about similarities in structure, physical-chemical properties, and existing test data on the toxicity of PFAS (both publicly available and submitted to EPA under TSCA). Consideration of the existing toxicity data before requiring further testing also ensures adherence to the TSCA goal of reducing animal testing. EPA will use the Strategy to identify important gaps in existing data and to select one or more candidate chemicals within identified categories for additional study. EPA expects to exercise its TSCA section 4 order authority to require PFAS manufacturers to conduct and fund the studies. EPA plans to issue the first round of test orders on selected PFAS by the end of 2021 with additional phases thereafter.

Reference: https://www.epa.gov/