CHENNAI: Chennai’s water bodies may be contaminated with Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals’, but Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) says there is no mandate nor technology available to treat them, both in drinking water and wastewater.
The submission was made by CMWSSB superintending engineer Sivakumar in an affidavit before the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal had registered a suo motu case based on media reports highlighting alarming levels of PFAS in waterbodies, including drinking water sources such as Chembarambakkam lake.
A recent study by IIT Madras, published in a scientific journal, found PFAS concentrations in the city’s water to be nearly 19,400 times higher than the safety levels set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The chemicals were detected in groundwater near the Perungudi dumpyard, and in the Adyar river, Buckingham Canal, and Chembarambakkam lake.
‘Forever chemicals’, due to their persistent nature and strong carbon-fluorine bonds, are widely used in products like non-stick cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foams. When present in drinking water, they pose serious health risks, including links to cancer and liver ailments.
A metro water official stated that current treatment facilities are not equipped to remove PFAS due to inadequate infrastructure and limited technical expertise. However, CMWSSB maintains that it meets Indian Standard (IS:10500) requirements for treated water. Sivakumar said the Union Environment Ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board must issue specific guidelines for PFAS regulation.
Though advanced PFAS treatment methods are being explored in the US, EU, Australia, and China, their adoption in developing countries remains limited due to high costs and lack of expertise.