An analysis of publicly available data reveals that more than 57,000 sites throughout the U.S. may be contaminated with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A presumptive contamination model indicates the presence of these forever chemicals at certain industrial facilities, sites related to PFAS-containing waste, and locations where fluorinated firefighting foams have been used.

To check the model against known contamination sites, the researchers validated over 500 known contamination sites from the Contamination Site Tracker maintained by Northeastern University’s PFAS Project Lab against the likely contamination sites they identified. The result: 72% of known contamination sites were either included in the map of presumptive contamination sites or captured by the overall conceptual model, even if those sites couldn't be mapped at the national scale.

Presumptive contamination sites can be viewed on an interactive map published by the PFAS Project Lab.

"PFAS testing is expensive and resource intensive. We have developed a standardized methodology that can help identify and prioritize locations for monitoring, regulation, and remediation," said Dr. Kimberly Garrett, co-author and post-doctoral researcher at Northeastern University.

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Included in the 57,412 presumptive PFAS contamination sites are 49,145 industrial facilities, 4,255 wastewater treatment plants, 3,493 current or former military sites and 519 major airports.

Researchers from Whitman College, Northeastern University, Commonweal, U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Milieu Consulting (Belgium) contributed to this study, which is published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.