Crowdsourcing citizens for statewide mapping of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Florida drinking water
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As Florida is heavily reliant upon water and its varying sources, the primary objective of this study was to survey the presence of PFAS in drinking water collected from taps from the state of Florida (United States). In this study, 448 drinking water samples were collected by networking with trained citizen scientists, with at least one sample collected from each of the 67 counties in Florida. Well water, tap water, and bottled water, all sourced from Florida, were extracted and analyzed for 31 PFAS. Overall, when examining ΣPFAS: the minimum, maximum, median, and mean were ND, 219, 2.90, and 14.06 ng/L, respectively. The data herein allowed for a comparison of PFAS in drinking water geographically within the state of Florida, providing vital baseline concentrations for prospective monitoring and highlighting hotspots that require additional testing and mitigation. By incorporating citizen scientists into the study, we aimed to educate impacted communities regarding water quality issues and solutions.
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†The total number each PFAS was detected (LOD < x < LOQ) in the 448 drinking water samples. The number in parentheses indicates the percent detected from the
total. ††The total number each PFAS was quantified (>LOQ) in the 448 drinking water samples. The number in parentheses indicates the percent quantified from the
total. ††† Indicates the total number of counties in which the PFAS was detected (LOD < x < LOQ) in the 67 counties, with those numbers in parentheses being the
percent of the total. All max, min, median, and mean concentration values are show in ng/L or ppt.
PFAS heat map for the state of Florida. Data points are color coded
within a range of measured ΣPFAS (ng/L), with the shaded color predicting the
estimated value of PFAS concentration in ng/L over geographical areas using
the Natural Neighbors Interpolation method.
A. PFAS heat map for the state of Florida. Data points are color coded within a range of measured PFOA concentrations (ng/L), with the shaded color
predicting the estimated value of PFOA concentration in ng/L over geographical areas using the Natural Neighbors Interpolation method. B. PFAS heat map for the
state of Florida. Data points are color coded within a range of measured PFOS concentrations (ng/L), with the shaded color predicting the estimated value of PFOS
concentration in ng/L over geographical areas using the Natural Neighbors Interpolation method.
Full citation: Sinkway TD, Mehdi Q, Griffin EK, Correia K, Camacho CG, Aufmuth J, Ilvento C, Bowden JA. Crowdsourcing citizens for statewide mapping of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Florida drinking water. Science of The Total Environment. 2024 May 20;926:171932.
For more information about this study or if you would like a copy of the publication, please email Dr. Bowden at [email protected].
For more information about this study or if you would like a copy of the publication, please email Dr. Bowden at [email protected].