PFAS litigation and regulations by country

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PFAS pollution has sparked lawsuits and regulatory action around the world. Here is a shorter, easy-to-understand summary of what has happened by country.

United States
- By 2024, PFAS-related settlements in the United States total about $18 billion.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tightened drinking-water rules, moving from non-enforceable health advisories to stricter standards for several PFAS and a plan to remove them from public water systems within three years.
- States have their own standards too. California banned PFAS in food packaging and requires warning labels on PFAS-containing cookware; several other states have drinking-water standards for PFAS6 (a group of six PFAS chemicals) or individual PFAS.
- Major legal actions include settlements with DuPont, Chemours, and 3M. In 2017, a panel linked C8-related PFAS to certain illnesses; in 2018, Minnesota reached an $850 million settlement with 3M; in 2023, 3M agreed to pay about $10.3 billion to resolve water-protection claims, with Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva making additional settlements.
- The military has a large PFAS footprint through firefighting foams: around 126 bases have PFAS in nearby water; estimates from government and watchdog groups vary, with hundreds of thousands possibly affected.
- In 2024, the EPA finalized a drinking-water rule covering PFOA, PFOS, GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS, pushing public-water systems to reduce these PFAS to near-zero levels and offering grants to help communities test and treat affected water.
- States like Maine (by 2021) moved to ban PFAS in many products; California and other states have various limits on PFAS in consumer goods and packaging.
- PFAS contamination has also appeared in several places due to sludge-based fertilizer programs and industrial sites.

Sweden
- In 2023, Sweden’s Supreme Court ruled that people who received PFAS-contaminated drinking water can be compensated, setting a clear legal precedent.
- The country has found PFAS in drinking water at multiple locations, some linked to military fire-fighting foam, and has long been monitoring environmental levels and health risks.

Australia
- Investigations and media reports since 2017 have shown widespread PFAS contamination from firefighting foams at Defence facilities, affecting nearby water supplies.
- In 2019, remediation efforts began at RAAF Base Tindal and the town of Katherine.
- The 2022 federal budget allocated about A$428 million for PFAS cleanup at several Defence bases, including HMAS Albatross, RAAF Amberley, Pearce, and Richmond.

Canada
- Canada does not manufacture PFAS domestically but PFAS can be found in imported goods.
- A 2008 PFOS/PFOA ban includes exemptions for firefighting, military uses, and some inks/photographic media.
- Health Canada has drinking-water guidelines for PFOS and PFOA (PFOS: 0.0002 mg/L; PFOA: 0.0006 mg/L) to protect health over a lifetime of exposure.
- In August 2024, Health Canada set an objective of 30 ng/L for the sum of 25 PFAS detected in drinking water.

New Zealand
- New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority will ban PFAS in cosmetics starting December 31, 2026, making it one of the early adopters of a country-wide ban on PFAS in cosmetic products.

Europe and Italy
- The European Council asked the European Commission in 2019 to develop an action plan to end all non-essential uses of PFAS because of widespread presence in water, soil, and consumer goods.
- A group of countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) proposed a REACH-based restriction to ban PFAS production, use, sale, and import, with phased implementation depending on the application and availability of alternatives. Public consultation occurred in 2023.
- The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) evaluated the risk and socio-economic implications and prepared opinions for the European Commission, which then proposes a final plan for EU member states. The restriction would take effect 18 months after the decision.
- Italy’s Veneto region has faced what is described as Europe’s biggest PFAS-related environmental disaster, with long-term contamination of tap water and blood samples showing high PFAS levels. An estimated 127,000 residents were exposed through drinking water.
- The Veneto case revealed data access disputes and concerns about monitoring and action, despite a 2020 EFSA decrease in dietary limits for PFAS. The region has faced criticism for not expanding monitoring or taking decisive steps to reduce contamination.
- Across Europe, PFAS have been detected in drinking water, wastewater, and landfill leachates; many PFAS are not fully covered by EU-wide regulation yet, prompting ongoing discussions and potential future restrictions.

Other notable points and trends
- The Stockholm Convention lists PFOS and PFOA as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), a status that prompted international action; the United States has not ratified the treaty.
- Long-chain PFAS remain under review, and some are being phased out or restricted in various jurisdictions, while production and use continue in many parts of the world through imported products or legacy materials.

Overall
- The PFAS issue spans lawsuits, health-based standards, and regulatory pushes in many countries. While some places move toward tighter drinking-water limits and broader product bans, others grapple with legacy contamination, industry pushback, and the challenge of coordinating global action to reduce exposure and clean up polluted sites.