PFAS Monitoring and Regulation in Aotearoa New Zealand w/ the Environmental Protection Authority's Dr Shaun Presow: 10th June, 2026

Per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (or, PFAS) have been called ‘forever chemicals’. That’s because these synthetic chemicals are incredibly durable, lasting thousands of years. This durability has made this large group of chemicals useful in a variety of industries, from cosmetics to electronic and cookware. However, PFAS have been linked to a myriad of health risks including cancers, liver damage, and suppressed immunity, bad news, given their ubiquity within the environment and humans.

Recently, the Australian Government moved to sue the manufacturing giant 3M for $2.4b NZD, for their use of forever chemicals in firefighting foam, which contaminated numerous defence force bases across the country.

While no such legal action is yet on the cards for New Zealand, increased attention is being given to the presence of PFAS in our environment. In 2022 PFAS were for the first time included in the suite of compounds analysed in a quadrennial groundwater survey.

However, there is still a lack of information on how present PFAS are in Aotearoa New Zealand, so later this year the Environmental Protection Authority will be engaging with councils and other agencies to carry out further groundwater testing. To learn more, producer Theo spoke with the Environmental Protection Authority's acting manager of hazardous substances applications, Dr Shaun Presow.