Virginia Department of Health

 

GDForum ID: 2590

Description of Proposed Guidance Document Changes

Code of Virginia § 32.1-248.01 requires the Virginia Department of Health to develop a written policy “that identifies the criteria and levels of concern for certain toxic substances that the Department will use in determining whether to issue a fish consumption advisory.” This policy establishes those guidelines for Perfluorooctane Sulfanate (PFOS). PFOS is a synthetic surfactant with unique properties and one of the most studied per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which number in the thousands. PFOS is widely used by many industries and for firefighting. PFOS can enter the environment through production or waste streams and is very persistent in the environment. Health studies show that PFOS is prevalent in the population and takes years to be eliminated from the body. PFOS adverse health effects include decreased birthweight, increased cholesterol levels, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and lowered antibody response to certain vaccines. PFOS is of particular concern because it can accumulate up the food chain in aquatic systems and can lead to high concentrations in predatory fish consumed by anglers.

 

Guidance Document(s) for this Comment Forum

Document ID	Document Title	Current Document	Proposed Document	Revised Proposed
ENV-605	Advisory Guidelines for Fish with PFOS	n/a	Proposed Document		Posted with original changes on 05/12/2025

 

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