Exposure of vulnerable communities to PFAS in drinking water: An issue of environmental justice

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 9,000 fluorinated, synthetic chemicals that have been widely used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. PFAS are extremely persistent compounds and they have been detected ubiquitously in organisms as well as environmental media including water, air, and soil. PFAS exposure has been linked to numerous adverse health outcomes in humans such as reproductive toxicity, cancer, immunosuppression, endocrine disruption, neurodevelopmental problems, kidney disease, and increased cholesterol levels. PFAS contamination is widespread, and over 98% of Americans have PFAS in their blood.

The primary source of PFAS exposure for many Americans is drinking water, and more than 200 million Americans utilize PFAS-contaminated tap water. Studies have shown that PFAS are disproportionately present in the drinking water of low-income, minority communities. PFAS contamination thus represents an issue of environmental justice.

Michigan is one of the locations most affected by PFAS contamination, with over 11,000 contaminated sites across the state. We conducted a spatial analysis to determine the relationship between both socioeconomic indicators (such as race, income, and unemployment rate) and proximity to industrial sites with PFAS levels in public water supplies in Michigan. Through this analysis, we hope to identify communities that are most vulnerable to exposure to PFAS-contaminated drinking water and inform future monitoring/public health policy efforts.