Map of PFAS-Contaminated Wildlife Offers Guide for Legal Claims

An updated global map of PFAS-contaminated wildlife released on Tuesday can help lawyers identify scientific studies supporting natural resource damage claims due to the chemicals, according to an attorney involved with PFAS litigation.

The interactive map was developed by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group which has raised concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for 25 years.

The wildlife map plots the location of more than 625 species of birds, reptiles, frogs and other amphibians, large mammals such as horses and polar bears, and small mammals such as cats whose bodies contain more than 120 PFAS compounds, EWG said. Some species are endangered or threatened, it said.

EWG scientists identified nearly twice the number of studies and number of wildlife species reporting PFAS compared to the previous version of the map the group released in February. The updated map also includes PFAS detections in all seven continents.

Links to the data, which largely comes from published scientific studies and Environmental Protection Agency databases, are provided through the map’s interactivity.

State Lawsuits

“The map certainly may be indicative of the types of animals and wildlife that have been exposed and impacted by PFAS,” said Scott Summy, a shareholder with Baron & Budd PC.

“This in effect may serve as a guide to states who have standing to assert long term damages to natural resources,” said Summy, who’s a plaintiffs’ co-lead council in in Re Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation MDL 2873, multidistrict litigation involving damage claims from PFAS found in a type of widely used fire suppressant.

More than two dozen states have sued companies that have made and used PFAS for alleged natural resource, public health, and other damages with at least 11 lawsuits filed this year.

At least 13 states have issued advisories recommending limited or no consumption of fish due to one or more PFAS, according to state websites. Maine and Michigan are among the states that also have issued “do not eat” deer advisories due to the chemicals.