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Study detects PFAS in nearly all sampled Philadelphia-area waterways
Testing conducted from 2022 to 2024 found PFAS in 96% of sampled Pennsylvania waterways and 91% in New Jersey. South of Trenton, the chemicals were detected in 98% of waterways tested.
PFAS chemicals were detected in nearly all the waterways sampled in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including creeks in the Philadelphia region and the Delaware River, according to a study released Oct. 14.
Researchers found the chemicals in 96% of the Pennsylvania waterways tested and 91% of those sampled in New Jersey. The detection rate was 98% among waterways tested south of Trenton. The testing took place between 2022 and 2024.
The study was conducted by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, the Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group. PFAS are a broad group of persistent chemicals; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says exposure to some PFAS has been linked to health effects, including increased cancer risk and effects on pregnancy.
“Our waterways should be clean and free of toxic chemicals,” said Doug O’Malley, New Jersey state director for the Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center. He said widespread contamination raises concerns about drinking water and eating fish caught locally.
The findings highlight the reach of contamination in rivers and streams that serve communities across the region. The reported detection rates describe the waterways sampled; they do not, by themselves, establish the safety of a particular household’s tap water.