PFAS contamination spreads all over Europe.

 The Map of Forever PollutionIn early 2023, the Forever Pollution Project showed that nearly 23,000 sites all over Europe are contaminated by the “forever chemicals” PFAS. This unique collaborative, cross-border and cross-field investigation by 16 European newsrooms revealed an additional 21,500 presumptive contamination sites due to current or past industrial activity. PFAS contamination spreads all over Europe.

https://foreverpollution.eu/map/

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This Map was last updated on 6 November 2023. An updated and enhanced version of the data was built by the PFAS Data Hub project at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (Centre national pour la recherche scientifique, CNRS), where an updated map is available. For enquiries about the data, please contact the PFAS Data Hub at pdh.cnrs[@]proton.me

The Forever Pollution Project was initially developed by Le Monde (France), NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), RADAR Magazine and Le Scienze (Italy), and The Investigative Desk and NRC (Netherlands). The project was financially supported by Journalismfund.eu and Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU). The investigation was further developed and investigated by Knack (Belgium), Denik Referendum (Czechia), YLE (Finland), Reporters United (Greece), Latvian Radio (Latvia), Datadista (Spain), SRF (Switzerland), and Watershed Investigations / The Guardian (UK). The cross-border collaborative process was supported by Arena for Journalism in Europe.

Data

Get the detailed data about 20 manufacturing facilities, 23,000 contaminated sites, 21,500 presumptively contaminated sites, and 231 known PFAS users.

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Methodology

The Forever Pollution Project was a pioneering, interdisciplinary investigation involving 29 journalists from across 12 European countries, and seven experts in sociology, environmental chemistry, and law.

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Impact

The Project has generated discussion in journalism, scientific, and regulatory circles, cross-pollinating interactions and furthering collaboration.

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Publications from media partners

PFAS: the trail of eternal pollutants in Spain

July 2, 2023 | Datadista / Spainin Spanish

MAP: Where dangerous “eternal chemicals” accumulate in Latvia

May 11, 2023 | Latvijas Radio / Latviain Latvian

PFAS, the case of the Spinetta Marengo chemical center. Part 2: The institutions

April 24, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italyin English

Poisons in Brussels

April 17, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin Italian

Rob Billot, Dark Waters’ lawyer: ‘The battle will be fierce but the companies must pay’

March 31, 2023 | Reporters United / Greece in Greek

Six months of public consultation on the European project of a global ban on “eternal pollutants”

March 28, 2023 | Le Monde / Francein French

PFAS, the case of the Spinetta Marengo chemical cluster. Part 3: the company

March 17, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italy in Italian

PFAS, consult the European map of eternal pollutants

March 15, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italy in Italian

What are ‘forever chemicals’ and why are they causing alarm?

March 1, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

“The highest values are chocking.” New mapping shows 1,161 sites where groundwater is contaminated with PFAS

March 1, 2023 | Politiken / Denmarkin Danish

Chemical danger hanging over Dordrecht heads

February 28, 2023 | NRC / Netherlands in Dutch

Op-ed in Süddeutsche Zeitung: Why PFAS should be banned

February 26, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

‘Forever chemicals’: Industrialists lobby to avoid ban on toxic substances

February 25, 2023 | Le Monde / France in French

PFAS chemicals: How to recognise the toxic substances in everyday products

February 25, 2023 | WDR / Germanyin German

PFAS: A connection for eternity

February 25, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

‘Forever pollution’: Explore the map of Europe’s PFAS contamination

February 24, 2023 | Le Monde / France in English

‘Forever chemicals’ mean England’s waters will miss pollution targets for decades

February 24, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

Forever chemicals’: In France, nearly 1,000 PFAS-contaminated sites are largely ignored

February 24, 2023 | Le Monde / France in French

PFAS, the poison of the century: How contaminated is Germany?

February 23, 2023 | NDR / Germanyin German

Perfluorinated substances: The untold cause of poisonings and deaths

February 23, 2023 | Deník Referendum / Czech Republicin Czech

Podcast: Forever PFAS – the map of poison

February 23, 2023 | NDR / Germanyin German

Forever pollution’: Explore the map of Europe’s PFAS contamination

February 23, 2023 | Le Monde / France in French

PFAS pollution across Germany

February 23, 2023 | WDR / Germanyin German

Forever Pollution: The irreparable damage by PFAS that Greece doesnt want to know

February 23, 2023 | Reporters United / Greece in Greek

Map shows where forever chemicals have been detected in Finland – chemicals used in frying pans and goretex are harmful for human health

February 23, 2023 | Yleisradio / Finland in Finnish

PFAS: the trail of eternal pollutants in Spain

July 2, 2023 | elDiario.es / Spainin Spanish

Eternal chemicals: Latvia is polluted with substances harmful to human health

May 11, 2023 | Latvijas Radio / Latviain Latvian

PFAS, the case of the Spinetta Marengo chemical center. PART 1: The people

April 24, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italyin English

The eternal pollutants

April 17, 2023 | Le Monde / Francein Italian

PFAS, an everlasting mark

March 28, 2023 | La Scienze / Italyin Italian

“PFAS are a threat to public health worldwide”

March 23, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

PFAS, the case of the Spinetta Marengo chemical plant. Part 2: The institutions

March 16, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italy in Italian

What PFAS are and what risks they pose

March 15, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italy in Italian

No one can find a pattern in the pollution: now a gigantic clean-up job awaits

March 1, 2023 | Politiken / Denmarkin Danish

Because of ‘forever chemicals’: Federal government plans limit values for food

March 1, 2023 | SRF / Switzerlandin German

Regional water suppliers struggling with weak regulation of PFAS

February 27, 2023 | NDR / Germanyin German

Op-ed in Le Monde: ‘It is crucial that a strong and effective PFAS restriction enter into force as soon as possible’

February 26, 2023 | Le Monde / France in English

Ministers told to get a grip on scale of ‘forever chemicals’ pollution in UK

February 25, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

Northrhine Westphalia: Poison PFAS apparently in more places than previously known

February 25, 2023 | WDR / Germanyin German

The Guardian: What’s the solution to PFAS pollution?

February 24, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

Slowly, Europe is realizing how big the PFAS problem is

February 24, 2023 | NRC / Netherlands in Dutch

Rumilly, France: The ‘world capital of the frying pan’ and a ‘forever chemical’ hotspot

February 24, 2023 | Le Monde / France in French

‘Forever chemicals’: In France, nearly 1,000 PFAS-contaminated sites are largely ignored

February 24, 2023 | Le Monde / France in English

The battle about chemicals: How Bayer, BASF & Co lobby for PFAS

February 23, 2023 | NDR / Germanyin German

‘Forever chemicals’: How “Le Monde” followed the trail of PFAS across Europe

February 23, 2023 | Le Monde / France in French

The dark side of heat pumps

February 23, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

Everything you need to know about PFAS

February 23, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

Revealed: scale of ‘forever chemical’ pollution across UK and Europe

February 23, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

The PFAS legacy of the ‘biggest fire in peacetime Europe’

February 23, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

Chemical lobby moves full steam ahead to undermine European PFAS ban

May 17, 2023 | Follow The Money / Netherlandsin Dutch

PFAS, the case of the Spinetta Marengo chemical center. Part 3: The company

April 24, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italyin English

What you need to know about Pfas

April 17, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin Italian

Interview with R. Billot: Top lawyer compares the perfluorinated substances industry with the tobacco industry

April 4, 2023 | Deník Referendum / Czech Republicin Czech

‘Forever Pollution’ of PFAS: “It’s going to be a fierce battle, but the companies have to pay,” interview with attorney Robert Bilott

March 28, 2023 | Le Monde / Francein French

PFAS: The European map of eternal pollutants

March 20, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italy in Italian

Eternal pollution, the interactive map of European PFAS contamination

March 15, 2023 | La Scienze / Italyin Italian

PFAS, the case of the Spinetta Marengo chemical plant. Part 1: The people

March 15, 2023 | Radar Magazine / Italy in Italian

Up to 100,000 times the limit value: click around the map of 1,161 PFAS contaminants

March 1, 2023 | Politiken / Denmarkin Danish

PFAS toxins: Cantons face Herculean task

March 1, 2023 | SRF / Switzerlandin German

Les PFAS, ces polluants éternels qui ont contaminé l’Europe

February 27, 2023 | Le Monde / France in French

Forever chemicals’: Industrialists lobby to avoid ban on toxic substances

February 25, 2023 | Le Monde / France in English

UK risks falling behind Europe in controlling ‘forever chemicals’

February 25, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

Map of the forever exposures: Where PFAS can be found

February 25, 2023 | SRF / Switzerlandin German

Chemicals firm pollutes river with ‘forever chemicals’

February 24, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

Toxic substances from chemicals firm site found polluting protected river

February 24, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

Rumilly, France: The ‘world capital of the frying pan’ and a ‘forever chemical’ hotspot

February 24, 2023 | Le Monde / France in English

Poison in heat pumps: Unnecessary danger

February 23, 2023 | NDR / Germanyin German

The thorough research method

February 23, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

‘Forever chemicals’: The key public health issue of defining an ‘acceptable’ threshold

February 23, 2023 | Le Monde / France in English

“Eternal pollutants”: what are the health effects of PFAS?

February 23, 2023 | Le Monde / France in French

Say good bye to your mobile phone: How industry fights against a PFAS ban

February 23, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

What are PFAS

February 23, 2023 | The Guardian / United Kingdomin English

PFAS – the poison of the century

February 23, 2023 | SZ / Germanyin German

Media partners

Knack

Belgium

SZ

Germany

Radar Magazine

Italy

NRC

Netherlands

Watershed

United Kingdom

Deník Referendum

Czech Republic

WDR

Germany

La Scienze

Italy

The Investigative Desk

Netherlands

The Guardian

United Kingdom

Yleisradio

Finland

NDR

Germany

Latvijas Radio

Latvia

Datadista

Spain

Le Monde

France

Reporters United

Greece

Follow The Money

Netherlands

SRF

Switzerland

Crossborder coordination partner

Mapping partner

https://foreverpollution.eu/map/