pfas.australianmap.net is a detailed resource, providing information relating to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl) substances.
PFAS chemicals have been described as “the next asbestos” and have been used in a diverse range of products including: fire fighting foam, scotchguard, non-stick cookware etc. They are bio-accumulative and repel water. They are ubiquitous in the environment.
This map hopes to inform the general public about the location of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl) substances in the Australian environment.
PFAS chemicals are now ubiquitous in the environment being concentrated in waterways and sediment. The most controversy with their use has been in fire fighting foams used on military bases, airports and industrial areas.
PFAS chemicals have also been used in domestic houses, with common non-stick cookware and the stain repellent spray, Scotchguard being widely used by the public. Some of the highest PFAS levels have been detected in homes and where Scotchguard has been used – including vehicles.
PFAS chemicals have been linked to a number of diseases, yet the Australian Government stubbornly refuses to end the use of PFAS chemicals in Australia, even after they have been banned overseas.
PFAS Chemicals in Australian Drinking Water – A Summary
This article shares information collated over the past few years concerning PFAS detections in Australian drinking water supplies. It is not an authoritative list, as a national overview has not been published for 13 years. It is also a depressing reality that there has not been a nationally co-ordinated monitoring program for PFAS chemicals in drinking water. Why?
FRD-903 (also known as hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid, HFPO-DA, and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy)propanoic acid) is a chemical compound that is among the class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Source: wikimedia.org
