Last data update: · Next scheduled review: 16 Nov 2026
PFAS soil regulation in 49 countries and the EU: status, key values, reference texts and deadlines. Updated weekly from official sources.
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Reliability of each entry: Verified (official source checked) · Probable (single or secondary source) · Under review (to be confirmed).
Directive (EU) 2025/2360, in force since 16 December 2025: transposition by 17 December 2028; national systems for contaminated sites by 17 December 2029; public register of potentially contaminated sites by 17 December 2035; indicative list of contaminants (including PFAS) expected around mid-2027.
Directive (EU) 2026/805 adopted on 30 March 2026, published on 20 April 2026: groundwater 0.1 µg/L (sum of 20) and 4.4 ng/L (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA); surface water: sum of 25 including TFA; final compliance by 22 December 2039.
Directive (EU) 2020/2184, applicable from 12 January 2026: the sum of 20 PFAS ≤ 0.1 µg/L and total PFAS ≤ 0.5 µg/L.
PFAS NEMP 3.0 (March 2025, followed by v3.1): revised health investigation levels and ecological values for soil, treatment hierarchy, and regulated reuse.
NEMP water guideline values; PFOS freshwater value updated in 2026 (v3.1).
NHMRC, 25 June 2025: PFOS 8 ng/L, PFOA 200 ng/L, PFHxS 30 ng/L, PFBS 1,000 ng/L; incorporated into NEMP 3.1 (May 2026).
Regional jurisdiction: three distinct frameworks. Flanders: OVAM test values (July 2025), the most detailed. Brussels: PFAS standards incorporated into the ‘standards’ order in 2024. Wallonia: no binding values; PFAS analysis required under the v2.0 guidelines.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| PFOS — agricultural/natural land use (OVAM 2025) | 3 µg/kg dm |
| PFOA — agricultural/natural land use (OVAM 2025) | 2 µg/kg dm |
| PFOS / PFOA — industrial soil (OVAM 2025) | 829 / 366 µg/kg dm |
| Reuse of excavated soil (PFOS) | 1.5–3 µg/kg dm |
Flanders (OVAM 2025): groundwater levels of 0.1 µg/L for the sum of 20 PFAS and 15.6 µg/L for TFA.
Flanders: 0.1 µg/L (sum of 20) and 0.5 µg/L (total PFAS); target value of 4 ng/L (sum of 4) by 20 January 2028. Wallonia: sum of 20 at 100 ng/L, applicable from 20 February 2025; targets for the sum of 4 to be met by 2028.
OVAM PFAS guideline (1 July 2025): indicative test values for investigation and remediation; circular of 20 June 2025 on the reuse of PFAS-containing soil, addressed to soil management organisations, treatment centres and authorised temporary storage sites. These are guidance frameworks, not yet standards under the Soil Decree: the accredited expert remains responsible for selecting the values.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| PFOS — agricultural/natural land use | 3 µg/kg dm |
| PFOA — agricultural/natural land use | 2 µg/kg dm |
| PFOS / PFOA — industrial | 829 / 366 µg/kg dm |
| Reuse (PFOS) | 1.5–3 µg/kg dm |
OVAM 2025 values: 0.1 µg/L (sum of 20 PFAS) and 15.6 µg/L (TFA) for groundwater.
Sum of 20 ≤ 0.1 µg/L and total PFAS ≤ 0.5 µg/L as legal standards; target value 4 ng/L (sum of 4) by 20 January 2028.
No binding PFAS soil limit. The SPW’s PFAS Guidelines v2.0 require a detailed analysis of PFAS in preliminary investigations under the Soil Decree; if the risk cannot be ruled out, soil and groundwater analyses are required. Transposition of Directive (EU) 2025/2360 is in preparation.
PFAS are dealt with on a case-by-case basis in investigations under the Soil Decree; transposition of Directive (EU) 2026/805 is forthcoming (sum of 4 at 4.4 ng/L).
Limit of 100 ng/L (sum of 20) applied since 20 February 2025 and met in all supply zones; target of 4 ng/L (sum of 4) by 12 January 2028.
‘Standards’ Order of 29 March 2018 (intervention and remediation standards), amended on 30 May 2024 to incorporate PFAS standards in accordance with Brussels Environment. Code of good practice on PFAS for experts in force since 24 January 2022; indicative map of PFAS sites.
Intervention and remediation standards of the ‘Standards’ Order (soil and groundwater), with PFAS included in 2024.
Decree of 22 February 2024: drinking water must comply with the PFAS limits set out in the Directive by 12 January 2026 at the latest.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency’s (Miljøstyrelsen) soil quality criteria (2021) regarding the sum of 4 and the sum of 22 PFAS; differentiated action levels proposed in September 2024, but not adopted. Agreement on soil management dated 28 January 2026 (traceability, fines; no PFAS thresholds or funding).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Sum of 4 PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS) | 0.01 mg/kg dm |
| Sum of 22 PFAS | 0.4 mg/kg dm |
Groundwater criteria: sum of 4 at 2 ng/L, sum of 22 at 100 ng/L.
Sum of 4 PFAS at 2 ng/L (2021 criterion, binding since 2023), sum of 22 at 100 ng/L; TFA 9 µg/L.
PFAS Action Framework (reuse of excavated soil and sediments), finalised in December 2021 and updated in December 2023; remains a guidance framework. RIVM research is due to conclude at the end of 2026; permanent regulations are expected in 2027 at the earliest. Excavated soil has been banned from landfill since 1996, unless declared unfit for treatment.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Reuse (framework, Dec 2023) — PFOS | 3 µg/kg dm |
| Reuse (framework, Dec 2023) — PFOA | 7 µg/kg dm |
| Non-treatability thresholds for sandy soil | ≈ 60 µg/kg PFOS; ≈ 140 µg/kg PFOA (single source) |
EU rules apply (see EU common framework); no stricter national value identified.
Health Canada soil screening values (updated Nov. 2025), replacing the CCME PFOS guidelines for human health.
Comparison with the drinking water objective where groundwater is a resource.
A (non-binding) objective of 30 ng/L for the sum of 25 PFAS (August 2024); implemented by the provinces.
BBodSchV (Annex 2, Table 3): threshold values for 7 PFAS via the soil→groundwater pathway (UBA). PFAS Assessment Guidelines 2022 for reuse. In April 2026, the UBA published proposals for test values for the soil→human and soil→plant pathways.
There is no statutory threshold value for the chemical status of groundwater; GFS values (LAWA 2017: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS 0.1 µg/L) and GOW values are used pending the transposition of Directive (EU) 2026/805 (sum of 4 at 4.4 ng/L).
Drinking Water Ordinance: sum of 20 PFAS at 0.1 µg/L from 2026, sum of 4 PFAS at 0.02 µg/L from 2028.
NEMP values.
Preliminary 2015 guideline values are still in use; revised values proposed by the SGI in 2022, with an impact assessment underway. A national PFAS action plan is in preparation.
EU rules apply (see EU common framework).
Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket): PFAS 4 ≤ 4 ng/L and PFAS 21 ≤ 100 ng/L, applicable since 1 January 2026.
CERCLA: PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances (effective 8 July 2024), unanimously upheld by the D.C. Court of Appeals on 18 August 2026. States: New Jersey adopted soil and groundwater remediation standards (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, GenX) on 15 June 2026; New York (Part 375, revised on 31 December 2025) has no PFOA/PFOS soil concentration limits, pending a geochemical baseline study.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| NJ — residential soil | 0.047 – 0.23 mg/kg |
| NJ — non-residential soil | 0.67 – 3.9 mg/kg |
| NJ — groundwater | 0.013 – 0.02 µg/L |
Groundwater clean-up values aligned with MCLs in many CERCLA cases and state standards.
PFOA and PFOS MCLs of 4.0 ng/L maintained. Proposals of 20 May 2026 (91 FR 29413 and 29425): repeal of the MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA and the hazard index; individual extension until 26 April 2031 for PFOA/PFOS; not finalised. AWWA v. EPA oral arguments before the D.C. Circuit on 18 September 2026.
Proposed PFOS guideline value lowered from 100 to 2 µg/kg dm (2020); adoption not confirmed.
EU rules apply (see EU common framework).
Sum of 4 PFAS ≤ 4 ng/L since 1 January 2026 (Regulation No. 2728 of 19 December 2025), in addition to the EU parameters.
No legal limits have yet been set in OSites/OLED. PFAS concentration values are to be included in Annex 1 of the Ordinance on Contaminated Sites (Maret motion); soil values (OSol) are expected approximately one year later.
Since August 2025, the FOEN has been accepting, on a case-by-case basis, a value of 200 ng TEQ/L (toxicity-weighted) for groundwater.
OPBD: limit values of 0.3 µg/L for PFOS/PFHxS and 0.5 µg/L for PFOA; to be replaced by a limit of 0.1 µg/L for the sum of 20 PFAS.
There is no national PFAS standard for soil. The government reports that more than 80,000 potential sources of soil pollution have been eliminated (single source, June 2026).
GB 5749-2022: (non-mandatory) reference values for PFOS and PFOA.
No regulatory PFAS limit has been identified for soil; management on a case-by-case basis (national contaminated sites and soil methodology). Circular of 27 April 2026 on land-spread sludge: 400 µg/kg (22 PFAS) and 40 µg/kg (6 PFAS); mandatory incineration above POP thresholds; permanent framework from 1 January 2027.
EU rules apply (see EU common framework).
Decree No. 2025-1287 of 22 December 2025: mandatory health monitoring of the 20 PFAS from January 2026 (0.1 µg/L).
Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, notified on 29 July 2025: national inventory and the ‘polluter pays’ principle; no specific rules on PFAS.
No national PFAS concentration limit has been set in Legislative Decree 152/2006; regional limits may apply (Veneto).
EU rules apply (see EU common framework).
Legislative Decree 102/2025: sum of 4 PFAS ≤ 20 ng/L (implementation postponed to 12 July 2026 by the 2026 Budget Act), TFA ≤ 10 µg/L, plus the EU parameters.
No PFAS standards for soil (provisional measurement method for PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS).
PFOS + PFOA guideline value of 50 ng/L for public water and groundwater (guideline status since June 2025).
Tap water standard: PFOS + PFOA ≤ 50 ng/L, mandatory since 1 April 2026, with quarterly testing.
PFAS Plan dated 3 February 2026 (updated on 17 August 2026): update of the Part 2A guidance for local authorities, technical guidance on legacy PFAS land, EA prioritisation map for public bodies by the end of 2026, 2026–2027 soil pilot; no dedicated funding. The Environmental Audit Committee (23 April 2026) recommended a national fund; the government’s response (6 July 2026) did not commit to this.
There are no statutory PFAS limits for surface water and groundwater; 2,400 samples are monitored annually in England.
Scotland: sum of 20 ≤ 0.1 µg/L (statutory since 2023). England & Wales: DWI guidance on 48 PFAS, 0.1 µg/L; consultation on a statutory limit announced for 2026.
Decree 48/2026/NĐ-CP (29 January 2026): provinces are responsible for remediation plans for severely contaminated soil (legacy pollutants, excluding PFAS).
No national PFAS limit values for soil have been identified. Transposition of Directive (EU) 2025/2360 is expected by 17 December 2028 at the latest. Groundwater and drinking water: EU rules apply (see EU common framework).
No national PFAS reference value has been identified.
No PFAS guideline values for soil (single source). An operator in Kemi has applied for a permit for the thermal treatment of PFAS-contaminated soil.
EU rules apply (see EU common framework); no stricter national value identified.
National Programme for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites 2026–2030 (May 2026): 1,114 registered sites, PFAS not covered (single source).
Draft amendment to the Act on the Conservation of the Aquatic Environment (emerging contaminants).
Monitoring values: PFOA/PFOS 70 ng/L, PFHxS 480 ng/L; binding tap water standards announced for 2028; KRW 38.4 billion for R&D until 2030.
Drinking water standards as of 1 July 2027: PFOA + PFOS 50 ng/L; PFOS + PFHxS 70 ng/L (MOENV, announced on 8 January 2026).
No specific PFAS measure identified to date for soil, groundwater or drinking water.
· United States · LitigationVerified
3M will pay a nominal total of $7.35 billion between 2026 and 2034 to settle approximately 99 per cent of the AFFF MDL claims, without admitting liability.
· European Union · ProductsVerified
The restriction on PFHxA, its salts and related substances (Regulation (EU) 2024/2462) has applied since 10 October 2026.
· United States · ProductsVerified
The DPR must publicly identify pesticides containing PFAS and publish annual reports.
· European Union · Landfill and wasteVerified
Inclusion of long-chain PFCA in the POP waste limits, effective from 16 December 2026.
· United States · SoilVerified
The D.C. Court of Appeals has dismissed the industry challenges; PFOA and PFOS remain classified as hazardous substances, thereby upholding liability and the recovery of clean-up costs.
· United States · Landfill and wasteProbable
New York State is consulting on rules for the treatment of landfill leachate.
· Taiwan · ProductsVerified
14 new toxic substances and 182 substances of concern.
· Italy · Drinking waterVerified
Following a six-month postponement, the national limit – which is stricter than the EU’s – now applies.
| Date | Jurisdiction | Topic | Item |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Products | LC-PFCA designated as Class I substances (CSCL) | |
| European Union | Landfill and waste | PFCA C9–C21 in the POPs Regulation and the Stockholm Convention | |
| European Union | Products | SEAC final opinion — universal restriction on PFAS | |
| United Kingdom | Soil | EA’s PFAS prioritisation GIS map for public bodies | |
| Belgium | Landfill and waste | Indaver Stabroek: emission results and decision on the disposal route | |
| Switzerland | Soil | PFAS values in OSites and OLED (targeted entry into force) | |
| France | Soil | Permanent PFAS framework for sludge spreading | |
| Taiwan | Products | Extended PFAS testing (196 substances) | |
| United States | Landfill and waste | RCRA: final rule listing 9 PFAS as hazardous constituents (expected) | |
| United Kingdom | Soil | Land Remediation Pathfinder (£80 M, 2027–2031) | |
| European Union | Products | PFAS-containing foams prohibited for training purposes (Regulation 2025/1988) | |
| European Union | Soil | Indicative list of soil contaminants, including PFAS (≈ mid-2027) | |
| Taiwan | Drinking water | PFAS standards for drinking water | |
| United States | Products | First TRI reports including PFHxS-Na |
In this tracker, 9 of the 49 countries followed have enforceable PFAS values for soil (status level 3 or 4): Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, United States. In most other countries, PFAS in soil are handled case by case on the basis of a site-specific risk assessment.
There is no EU-wide numerical PFAS limit for soil. Directive (EU) 2025/2360, in force since 16 December 2025: transposition by 17 December 2028; national systems for contaminated sites by 17 December 2029; public register of potentially contaminated sites by 17 December 2035; indicative list of contaminants (including PFAS) expected around mid-2027.
OVAM test values (July 2025): PFOS — agricultural/natural land use: 3 µg/kg dm; PFOA — agricultural/natural land use: 2 µg/kg dm; PFOS / PFOA — industrial: 829 / 366 µg/kg dm; Reuse (PFOS): 1.5–3 µg/kg dm.
This page summarises publicly available regulatory information for general guidance only. It is not legal advice and may not reflect the latest amendments. Values and deadlines must be checked against the official texts before any use. Haemers Technologies accepts no liability for decisions based on this summary.
Main sources: official texts and competent authorities.
Specialist press, law firms and consultancies are used as secondary sources for context; each entry links to the sources used. Data reviewed weekly. Corrections: 
.