How Does NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 Align With the U.S. EPA Regulations for PFAS?
NSF/ANSI/CAN 61: Drinking Water System Components-Health Effects (NSF-61) is the bi-national standard for chemical contaminants and impurities indirectly imparted to drinking water from products, components and materials used in drinking water. U.S. state and Canadian provincial waterworks regulations and plumbing codes require drinking water components to be third-party certified to this standard.
Expanding PFAS criteria
The 2024 version of NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 now includes an expanded test battery of seven compounds for PTFE, ETFE, PVDF and fluoroelastomers materials. The seven PFAS include the six regulated by the EPA. The standard also includes a January 1, 2028, deadline to comply with the new testing requirements. For products tested and found to comply with the updated PFAS criteria, NSF offers an optional ‘+PFASʼ tested mark to demonstrate compliance.
PFAS updates to NSF/ANSI/CAN 600
NSF/ANSI/CAN 600: Health Effects Evaluation and Criteria for Chemicals in Drinking Water (NSF-600) contains the pass/fail criteria for products evaluated to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61. NSF-600 has also been updated so the Total Allowable Concentration (TAC) aligns with EPA primary drinking water standards for the six regulated PFAS compounds.
The NSF Drinking Water System Components Joint Committee is the consensus body that ballots change to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61. A PFAS task group continues to consider whether additional materials warrant testing for PFAS and whether additional PFAS compounds are required for testing.
PFAS criteria for NSF 600-2024
Compound | EPA Regulatory Criteria | NSF 600-2024 Criteria (TAC) | |
MCL* (ng/L) | HBWC** (ng/L) | ||
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 4 | - | 4 ppt |
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) | 4 | - | 4 ppt |
Perfluorononanoic Acid (PFNA) | 10 | 10* | 10** |
Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) | 10 | 10* | 10** |
Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) | - | 2000* | 2000** |
HFPO-DA and its ammonium salt (GenX) | 10 | 10* | 10** |
Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) | - | - | 2000** |
**Mixtures containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, PFBS and PFHxA | 1 (unitless) Hazard Index | 1 (unitless) Hazard Index | |
*MCL- Maximum Contaminant Level
**HBWC- Health-based Water Criteria
Visit the EPA website for more information on the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for six PFAS compounds.
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