PFAS Industry Data

What is the goal of collecting this data?

The goal of this data collection effort is to reduce individual state workloads and to share knowledge by identifying which industries use PFAS and in which processes. The information collected can help states broaden their understanding of PFAS sources to inform their technical assistance, monitoring, and remediation strategies. The online resource will be updated regularly as states continue to submit information.

What are PFAS?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of synthetic chemicals that have been used in industrial processes for decades. While some PFAS have been phased out or discontinued in manufacturing, many PFAS are still being used or imported. PFAS have temperature resistance and surfactant properties, and are commonly found in everyday products like nonstick cookware and food packaging, water-repellent and stain-resistant carpeting and clothing, and firefighting foams. Because PFAS do not break down in the environment, and because of the increased state, federal, and international actions prohibiting the use of PFAS in many consumer products and industrial processes, it is important to understand how they are used.

How does this resource help ECOS members?

ECOS collected already publicly-available data to share in one place, formatting information to make a clear distinction of where information gaps exist. States gathered data from a variety of sources, and the findings show that there is much left to learn about how PFAS is used in industry, what other industries use PFAS, and how it enters the environment. ECOS hopes the resource will show the broad range of types of information states collect and can help states understand the issue more broadly to inform their efforts as they work with companies directly, issue permits, or otherwise work to reduce PFAS at the source.

How was the data gathered?

In Summer 2023, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, which had already started collecting some PFAS use in industry data of its own, approached ECOS about coordinating among states to gather nationwide information on PFAS use in industry. ECOS formed a workgroup of 18 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin) and other stakeholders (e.g., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy, the Association of Clean Water Administrators, and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators) that met regularly to discuss how PFAS are used in various industries. 

The workgroup was presented with a list of 19 industries where PFAS are commonly found. Participants were asked to complete a two question survey:

1. What industries have you already collected data on related to PFAS?
2. If you have collected any site-specific analytical data, please list industries below.

Many states had information on AFFF use at airports or defense sites, and waste facilities were the most monitored sites identified.

The workgroup was then asked to rank the 19 industries, with the highest ratings reflecting the industries that states would like to better understand where and how PFAS are used. Industries with a ranking of 3 out of 5 or higher were selected as the areas of focus for the information collection process. Below are lists of the 19 industries discussed and 13 industries that were ranked for further investigation. The list of industries is non-exhaustive and will evolve over time as we recognize that scientists are continually discovering new PFAS sources.

Once industries were ranked, state workgroup participants voluntarily gathered publicly-available information (e.g., site-specific reports, sampling data, published documents) per the following template.

ECOS formatted the submissions so that the information was displayed consistently and states approved all entries in the final resource. ECOS hopes to continue to update this online resource as states collect and submit more information on PFAS in any of the industries listed, or in other industries of interest.

Other Resources

States, associations, and agencies that participated in the workgroup compiled other resources on PFAS use in industry that may shed more light on information available and where information gaps exist.

• Association of State Drinking Water Administrators’ PFAS – Source Water Protection Guide and Toolkit: The guide can be downloaded from the association’s PFAS webpage and serves to demonstrate and share effective strategies for addressing PFAS contamination risk in source waters.
• California Environmental Protection Agency’s GeoTracker PFAS Map: The map presents PFAS analytical data as it is accepted into the database by the Regional Water Quality Control Boards. Drinking Water Well PFAS data includes municipal drinking water systems. Data is received into the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program Groundwater Information System database from the Division of Drinking Water on a quarterly basis.
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and U.S. EPA Region 8 compiled data on NAICS codes and potential PFAS sources in industry.
• Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council’s PFAS Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document: Section 2 has information on manufacturing and industry sources.
• Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s industrial user data resources and fire suppressant information, including its April 2021 Evaluation of PFAS Influent, Effluent, and Residual of Wastewater Treatment Plants report; August 2020 Identified Industrial Sources of PFOS to Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants report; and June 2020 Targeted and Nontargeted Analysis of PFAS in Fume Suppressant Products at Chrome Plating Facilities report
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s PFAS in the Metal Plating and Finishing Industry Spreadsheet, and PFAS in the Metal Plating and Finishing Industry and PFAS in Textile and Leather Industry reports
• New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services is compiling a preliminary list of potential commercial and industrial products that use PFCs, with corresponding NAICS codes.
• New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) has an internally-available GIS tool that targets groundwater sampling locations for PFAS based on hydrogeology, proximity to public drinking water sources, and proximity to potential PFAS-using industries around the state. The NMED Drinking Water Bureau developed a weighted sum overlay method to facilitate an efficient and targeted approach for prioritizing potential sampling locations for PFAS in groundwater. This multi-criteria decision analytical method involved weighted overlay of thematic layers in GIS, including hydrogeology (depth-to-water and aquifer type), proximity to public drinking water sources, and proximity to potential sources of contamination. Potential sources of PFAS contamination were identified using: (1) EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) PFAS Analytic Tools; and (2) a comparison between facility North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes and the PFAS source inventory of Glüge et al. (2020).
• U.S. Department of Energy’s Guide for Investigating Historical and Current Uses of PFAS at DOE sites was designed to help the Department better understand its past and present uses of PFAS, identify areas of potential releases into the environment, and develop information to characterize and assess PFAS risks. DOE also distributed surveys to its operating facilities to assess current or historic PFAS presence at those sites, the initial assessment of which is available.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s PFAS Analytic Tools: This tool maps out PFAS data, but specific to this topic, the section titled “Data Sources Included” under the subheading “Facilities in Industries that May be Handling PFAS” is of particular interest.
• Washington Department of Ecology’s Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Chemical Action Plan
• Several states have publicly-available data from sampling at private wells and/or public water systems, and of surface water, groundwater, and soil, among other data, that might be useful.
• Several states also have legislation requiring manufacturers to report to the state environmental agency if and how PFAS are used in consumer products, food packaging, or other products. This information would be helpful for better understanding PFAS use in industries for source reduction activities.