2022 11 2 PFASMapping

Research and regulatory attention to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has grown dramatically in recent years, yet data about PFAS-contaminated sites are incomplete. Researchers recently proposed a “presumptive contamination” model of identifying likely sources of PFAS exposure in the U.S.

Dr. Alissa Cordner and Dr. Kimberly Garrett, two of the co-authors of Presumptive Contamination: A New Approach to PFAS Contamination Based on Likely Sources, will describe the model used to identify and map contamination sites based on proximity to certain types of identified facilities. The analysis builds on state-based studies that use testing to identify suspected contamination sources, self-reported releases from industrial users, and studies that linked measured specific contamination with specific types of sites.

Using this model, the researchers mapped 57,412 sites of presumptive PFAS contamination across the country. However, they argue that this is certainly an underestimation of the true scale of presumptive PFAS contamination. This approach allows governments, industries, and communities to rapidly prioritize sites for testing, site investigation, and possible regulatory action based onpotential exposure sources, according to study authors:

“To protect public health, the existence of PFAS in these locations should be presumed until high-quality testing data is available. The goal of this approach is … to develop a conservative and actionable model based on the best available data regarding sources of PFAS contamination.”

Sharyle Patton of Commonweal's Biomonitoring Resource Center, who also co-authored the study, will moderate the session.

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