Submission—Select Committee on PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances)

On 18 December 2024, the Academy made a submission to the Select Committee on PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

 

Download submission (PDF, 230KB)

In its submission, the Academy says there is an imperative for Australia to enhance its coordination and monitoring efforts and utilise and expand the scientific evidence base on PFAS to inform robust policy responses to address legitimate concerns.

The Academy recommends:

• establishing a coordinated national monitoring program to determine the extent of environmental PFAS contamination across Australia, which should inform enforceable standards to strengthen the regulation of PFAS
• creating a national human biomonitoring program to monitor bioaccumulation of PFAS and other Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) to further understanding of the health risks associated with PFAS and sources of exposure
• expanding our understanding of PFAS and the concentrations that require clinical care, developing methods to detect and monitor PFAS contamination, and developing replacements for PFAS in current industrial processes and products by strengthening the scientific evidence base
• transparent, up-to-date and reliable risk communication to the Australian public on PFAS contamination and its potential risks.