Taiwan Moves to Prohibit Injection of PFOS and PFOA into Groundwater

On November 17, 2025, Taiwan's Ministry of Environment (MOENV) launched a public consultation on draft amendments to the appendix of Types and Limits of Health-Hazardous Substances Prohibited from Injection into Groundwater Bodies (the Regulation). Comments are invited until January 16, 2026.¹

Overview of the Regulation

First introduced in November 2002, the Regulation aims to prevent hazardous substances from entering groundwater, thereby safeguarding water quality and public health. Its appendix specifies 60 substances that shall not be injected into groundwater. In addition, as part of a broader risk-management framework, the Regulation further prohibits groundwater contamination by:

1) Carcinogens classified as Group 1, 2A, and 2B by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); and

2) Substances classified as Group 1 for carcinogenicity, germ cell mutagenicity, or reproductive toxicity under CNS 15030 Classification and Labelling of Chemicals − General Rules.

Details of the Proposed Amendments

In response to rising international concern over perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as persistent organic pollutants and their associated health risks, the proposed amendments add two PFAS to the Regulation's appendix, prohibiting their injection into groundwater. Details of the newly added substances are summarized in the table below.

Further Reading

• Taiwan to Modernize Recycling Law to Support Resource Circulation Goals

• Taiwan Establishes Voluntary Carbon Footprint Verification Rules

• Taiwan Drafts Standards for PFAS in Drinking Water