Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS)
Status: No national drinking water standard exists
Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) is a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. PFOS and other perfluorinated chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and they accumulate in people. Click here to read more about perfluorinated chemicals.
Health concerns for perfluorobutane sulfonate
Cancer
Harm to the immune system
Hormone disruption
Harm to fetal growth and child development
Harm to the liver
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 1 ppt
The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppt for perfluorobutane sulfonate was defined by EWG based on studies by Phillipe Grandjean of Harvard University and many other independent researchers who found reduced effectiveness of vaccines and adverse impacts on mammary gland development from exposure to PFOA and PFOS, the two PFAS most widely detected in drinking water. This health guideline applies to the entire class of PFAS detected in water.
ppt = parts per trillion
States reporting perfluorobutane sulfonate in drinking water
UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
California | 48 | 2,439,452 | 94 | 6,692,114 | |||
North Carolina | 71 | 1,110,800 | 107 | 2,413,349 | |||
Kentucky | 12 | 46,709 | 19 | 541,642 | |||
Massachusetts | 11 | 100,108 | 23 | 468,285 | |||
New York | 3 | 18,575 | 13 | 324,225 | |||
Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 5 | 238,297 | |||
Georgia | 7 | 203,392 | 7 | 203,392 | |||
Rhode Island | 6 | 20,296 | 10 | 185,489 | |||
New Hampshire | 54 | 129,589 | 62 | 160,939 | |||
Pennsylvania | 4 | 111,808 | 4 | 111,808 | |||
Alabama | 6 | 66,153 | 6 | 66,153 | |||
Michigan | 1 | 42,271 | 1 | 42,271 | |||
Minnesota | 1 | 36,900 | 1 | 36,900 | |||
Washington | 1 | 32,603 | 1 | 32,603 | |||
Colorado | 1 | 19,000 | 1 | 19,000 | |||
Maine | 2 | 6,290 | 2 | 6,290 |
Filtering technologies that reduce perfluorobutane sulfonate
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of perfluorobutane sulfonate, 2013-2019
Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
---|---|---|---|---|
Littlestown Borough | Littlestown, PA | 1 of 1 | 2,200,000.0 ppt | 7,300 |
Williamsport Mun Water Authority | Williamsport, PA | 1 of 5 | 400,000.0 ppt | 51,000 |
Paw Penn District | Birdsboro, PA | 1 of 17 | 129,411.8 ppt | 28,508 |
Rome* | Rome, GA | 4 of 4 | 240.0 ppt | 45,586 |
Calhoun* | Calhoun, GA | 4 of 8 | 135.0 ppt | 49,088 |
Talking Rock Creek Properties | Chatsworth, GA | 4 of 8 | 135.0 ppt | 270 |
Cottage Grove | Cottage Grove, MN | 19 of 85 | 25.8 ppt | 36,900 |
Rainbow City Utilities Board* | Rainbow City, AL | 1 of 4 | 25.0 ppt | 11,889 |
Higuera Apartments | San Luis Obispo, CA | 3 of 3 | 23.0 ppt | 30 |
College View Mobile Home Park | Wilmington, NC | 4 of 4 | 20.5 ppt | 90 |
Hi and Lo Estates | Merrimack, NH | 1 of 1 | 16.9 ppt | 140 |
Houlton Mobile Home Park | Houlton, ME | 1 of 1 | 16.2 ppt | 140 |
Scituate Commons | North Scituate, RI | 1 of 1 | 14.5 ppt | 38 |
Serrano Water District* | Villa Park, CA | 8 of 8 | 14.0 ppt | 6,641 |
Chapel Ridge S/d | Cary, NC | 1 of 1 | 13.1 ppt | 798 |
Pittsboro, Town of* | Pittsboro, NC | 1 of 1 | 13.1 ppt | 4,401 |
Buena Vista Migrant Center | Capitola, CA | 3 of 3 | 13.0 ppt | 455 |
Yorba Linda Water District | Yorba Linda, CA | 48 of 54 | 12.9 ppt | 77,513 |
East Orange County Water District - Rz | Orange, CA | 8 of 8 | 12.7 ppt | 3,000 |
Security Waster District | Colorado Springs, CO | 4 of 38 | 11.6 ppt | 19,000 |
Cedar Bluff Utilities Board | Cedar Bluff, AL | 2 of 26 | 10.8 ppt | 3,753 |
Northeast Alabama Water System* | Fort Payne, AL | 2 of 26 | 10.8 ppt | 42,609 |
San Juan Basin Authority* | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 10 of 11 | 10.6 ppt | 0 |
Cal-water Service Company-oroville | Chico, CA | 14 of 17 | 10.6 ppt | 9,427 |
Dalton Utilities* | Dalton, GA | 1 of 12 | 10.00 ppt | 99,315 |
City Of South Shore Water Works | South Shore, KY | 1 of 1 | 8.55 ppt | 6,798 |
Century Village Condos | Merrimack, NH | 1 of 1 | 8.34 ppt | 875 |
Windham Terrace | Merrimack, NH | 3 of 3 | 8.17 ppt | 110 |
Taylor River Estates | Merrimack, NH | 1 of 1 | 7.71 ppt | 90 |
Santa Clarita Water Division* | Santa Clarita, CA | 30 of 56 | 7.28 ppt | 120,900 |
Orchard Dale Water District | Whittier, CA | 13 of 15 | 7.18 ppt | 22,492 |
La Habra Heights County Water District* | La Habra Heights, CA | 13 of 15 | 7.18 ppt | 5,379 |
Bladen Bluffs Water System | Tarheel, NC | 1 of 1 | 7.10 ppt | 4,589 |
Dunnigan Water Works | Paso Robles, CA | 2 of 3 | 6.73 ppt | 400 |
Pitarys Mobile Home Park/east | Nashua, NH | 1 of 1 | 6.61 ppt | 90 |
Pine Grove Trailer Park | Eugene, CA | 1 of 1 | 6.60 ppt | 100 |
Freedom Pond | New Ipswich, NH | 1 of 1 | 6.28 ppt | 112 |
Valencia Water Company* | Valencia, CA | 37 of 85 | 6.22 ppt | 117,251 |
Commerce-city, Water Department | San Jose, CA | 2 of 2 | 6.00 ppt | 3,828 |
Villages On The Lamprey | Epping, NH | 1 of 1 | 5.90 ppt | 113 |
Home Gardens County Water District | Corona, CA | 44 of 108 | 5.86 ppt | 3,033 |
City of Corona* | Corona, CA | 44 of 108 | 5.86 ppt | 155,896 |
Chino Basin Desalter Authority - Desalter 2* | Ontario, CA | 8 of 12 | 5.65 ppt | 0 |
Runnells Landing | Merrimack, NH | 1 of 1 | 5.64 ppt | 74 |
City of Lathrop | Lathrop, CA | 11 of 24 | 5.38 ppt | 12,427 |
Cross Ridge Estates | Merrimack, NH | 1 of 1 | 5.35 ppt | 73 |
Hudson Mobile Home Estates | Merrimack, NH | 1 of 1 | 5.18 ppt | 220 |
Peu/castle Reach | Merrimack, NH | 1 of 1 | 4.94 ppt | 100 |
Rubidoux Community SD | Rubidoux, CA | 11 of 17 | 4.89 ppt | 26,150 |
Newhall Cwd-pinetree | Santa Clarita, CA | 6 of 7 | 4.80 ppt | 9,148 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
---|---|---|---|---|
Williamsport Mun Water Authority | Williamsport, PA | 1 of 5 | 400,000.0 ppt | 51,000 |
Paw Penn District | Birdsboro, PA | 1 of 17 | 129,411.8 ppt | 28,508 |
Rome* | Rome, GA | 4 of 4 | 240.0 ppt | 45,586 |
Calhoun* | Calhoun, GA | 4 of 8 | 135.0 ppt | 49,088 |
Cottage Grove | Cottage Grove, MN | 19 of 85 | 25.8 ppt | 36,900 |
Rainbow City Utilities Board* | Rainbow City, AL | 1 of 4 | 25.0 ppt | 11,889 |
Yorba Linda Water District | Yorba Linda, CA | 48 of 54 | 12.9 ppt | 77,513 |
Security Waster District | Colorado Springs, CO | 4 of 38 | 11.6 ppt | 19,000 |
Northeast Alabama Water System* | Fort Payne, AL | 2 of 26 | 10.8 ppt | 42,609 |
Dalton Utilities* | Dalton, GA | 1 of 12 | 10.00 ppt | 99,315 |
Santa Clarita Water Division* | Santa Clarita, CA | 30 of 56 | 7.28 ppt | 120,900 |
Orchard Dale Water District | Whittier, CA | 13 of 15 | 7.18 ppt | 22,492 |
Valencia Water Company* | Valencia, CA | 37 of 85 | 6.22 ppt | 117,251 |
City of Corona* | Corona, CA | 44 of 108 | 5.86 ppt | 155,896 |
City of Lathrop | Lathrop, CA | 11 of 24 | 5.38 ppt | 12,427 |
Rubidoux Community SD | Rubidoux, CA | 11 of 17 | 4.89 ppt | 26,150 |
Montebello Land & Water Company | Montebello, CA | 18 of 34 | 4.67 ppt | 32,219 |
City of Livermore | Livermore, CA | 36 of 46 | 4.52 ppt | 27,000 |
Dublin San Ramon Services District | Dublin, CA | 36 of 46 | 4.52 ppt | 75,924 |
Atascadero Mutual Water Company | Atascadero, CA | 13 of 24 | 4.35 ppt | 30,332 |
University of Rhode Island | Kingston, RI | 3 of 5 | 4.33 ppt | 19,354 |
Pico Rivera Water Department | Pico Rivera, CA | 22 of 54 | 4.24 ppt | 39,000 |
City of Archdale* | Archdale, NC | 1 of 1 | 4.20 ppt | 12,700 |
Piedmont Triad Regional* | Randleman, NC | 1 of 1 | 4.20 ppt | 367,681 |
Issaquah Water System | Issaquah, WA | 1 of 9 | 4.16 ppt | 32,603 |
City of Pleasanton | Pleasanton, CA | 12 of 22 | 4.02 ppt | 73,067 |
City of Garden Grove | Garden Grove, CA | 28 of 57 | 4.01 ppt | 170,883 |
City of Anaheim | Anaheim, CA | 49 of 118 | 3.53 ppt | 450,000 |
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District* | Lake Elsinore, CA | 21 of 54 | 3.29 ppt | 142,264 |
Pico WD | Pico Rivera, CA | 7 of 16 | 3.29 ppt | 24,100 |
Horsham Water&sewer Authority | Horsham, PA | 1 of 34 | 3.24 ppt | 25,000 |
Downey Water Department | Downey, CA | 9 of 20 | 3.17 ppt | 111,930 |
Suburban Water Systems - Whittier | Covina, CA | 12 of 16 | 3.14 ppt | 59,169 |
City of Orange | Orange, CA | 18 of 59 | 2.60 ppt | 138,640 |
Camp Pendleton (South) | Camp Pendleton, CA | 84 of 268 | 2.49 ppt | 39,400 |
Randolph Water Department* | Randolph, MA | 2 of 2 | 2.44 ppt | 33,375 |
Holbrook Public Works Department | Holbrook, MA | 2 of 2 | 2.44 ppt | 10,791 |
Newhall CWD-Newhall | Santa Clarita, CA | 2 of 10 | 2.02 ppt | 12,487 |
City of Monroe | Monroe, NC | 1 of 5 | 2.00 ppt | 31,438 |
Camp Pendleton (North) | Camp Pendleton, CA | 23 of 98 | 1.64 ppt | 15,600 |
Harnett County Department of Public Utilities* | Lillington, NC | 1 of 5 | 1.46 ppt | 101,389 |
Town of Holly Springs | Holly Springs, NC | 1 of 5 | 1.46 ppt | 38,500 |
City of Riverside* | Riverside, CA | 3 of 5 | 1.40 ppt | 303,871 |
Fayetteville Public Works Commission* | Fayetteville, NC | 2 of 10 | 1.37 ppt | 217,948 |
Hudson Water Supply | Hudson, MA | 16 of 42 | 1.27 ppt | 18,406 |
Liberty Utilities - Bellflower - Norwalk | Downey, CA | 7 of 22 | 1.21 ppt | 72,884 |
Hyannis Water System | Hyannis, MA | 9 of 42 | 1.18 ppt | 35,000 |
City of High Point* | High Point, NC | 2 of 6 | 1.17 ppt | 114,183 |
City of Goldsboro* | Goldsboro, NC | 1 of 5 | 1.16 ppt | 34,959 |
Town of Tarboro* | Tarboro, NC | 1 of 2 | 1.10 ppt | 11,310 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.