The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the release of an upgraded version of thePer- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)Analytic Tools. As of September 21, 2023, the Office of Compliance within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has implemented an update. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website now offers access to the PFAS Analytic Tools.

Enhanced Data Visualization

The newly improved PFAS Analytic Tools offer users invaluable insights into the manufacture, release, and prevalence of PFAS in communities nationwide. The EPA underscores that these data visualization tools have been instrumental in advancing knowledge about PFAS among researchers, community organizations, and professionals engaged in enforcement and compliance assurance.

Notable Inclusions Since January 2023 

Since January 2023, the EPA has augmented the PFAS Analytic Tools with several critical data sources, including:

1. 1. Over a Decade of PFAS Emissions Data: The tools now incorporate over ten years’ worth of PFAS emissions data from the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program.
2. 2. Robust Monitoring Findings: Over 100,000 recent findings from the fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) about public drinking water systems and additional data elements like probable sources influencing drinking water quality have been incorporated. The EPA plans to periodically release new results, with updates continuing until the conclusion of UCMR 5 data reporting in 2026.
3. 3. Environmental Monitoring Samples: Tens of thousands of environmental monitoring samples, including data from EPA and USGS research (e.g., 2018-19 National Rivers and Streams Assessment), have been integrated into the tools.
4. 4. Waste Manifest Insights: Hundreds of new waste manifests have been identified as likely containing PFAS constituents.
5. 5. Incident Reports: Dozens of initial incident reports indicating releases likely to contain PFAS have been sourced from EPA’s National Response Center.
6. 6. Wastewater Monitoring Data: Discharge monitoring reports for nearly 100 new facilities with PFAS monitoring in wastewater effluent are now accessible.
7. 7. Federal Sites and Superfund Data: The tools also provide new data on federal sites with known or suspected PFAS detections and Superfund sites where PFAS has been detected.

This comprehensive update to the PFAS Analytic Tools reinforces the EPA’s commitment to providing accessible and relevant information to understand better and address the challenges associated with PFAS contamination.

Reference: https://echo.epa.gov/trends/pfas-tools