Release of the PFAS Sites and Community Resources Map

[PFAS Project Lab. Northeastern University]
 "A new online map launched this week brings together information about known and suspected PFAS contamination sites across the United States with resources for affected communities and information about state action. This unique and interactive tool, called the PFAS Sites and Community Resources Map, was developed by the PFAS Project Lab at Northeastern University’s Social Science Environmental Health Institute (SSEHRI), Silent Spring Institute, and the PFAS-REACH team. This map is a new and improved version of the Community Resources map previously available on the PFAS Exchange website.

The PFAS Sites and Community Resources Map identifies 1,781 known sites of PFAS contamination based on the PFAS Project Lab’s PFAS Contamination Site Database. Additionally, we have identified 57,806 sites that are suspected of being contaminated, including current and former military sites, airports required to use PFAS-containing firefighting foam, industrial facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and railroad fire incidents. 

“This map brings together what we now know as all of the known and suspected sites of PFAS contamination in the U.S.,” says Dr. Phil Brown, co-director of the PFAS Project Lab co-director and Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University. “This truly paints a visual picture of how widespread PFAS contamination is across the country and how many communities are likely impacted,” adds Dr. Alissa Cordner, Associate Professor at Whitman College and co-director of the PFAS Project Lab.

In addition to mapping these known and suspected contamination locations, the map provides a nationwide portrait of PFAS advocacy groups, biomonitoring and health studies, and state action to show states that have enacted drinking water regulations and conducted PFAS testing. “We wanted to provide information not only on the extent of contamination in the U.S., but also highlight communities and states that are trying to do something about it,” says Dr. Laurel Schaider, Senior Scientist at Silent Spring Institute and lead investigator on PFAS-REACH. 

The map has interactive features that allow the user to explore more specific elements of contamination including detected PFAS levels and information about contamination at known sites, and details about types of facilities suspected of using or releasing PFAS in some way. The goal of this map is to educate and inform researchers, regulators, and community members to support the development of health-protective regulations, and to empower impacted communities to advocate for their health..."
PFAS Sites