PFAS Sleuths Seek ‘Forever Chemical’ Fingerprints (Corrected)

As public concern about “forever chemicals” contamination escalates, scientists are working to better identify and track thousands of compounds that could unlock greater regulatory power and bolster plaintiffs’ ability to reap damages from polluters.

The goal is to determine a scientific “fingerprint"—a tool used in sampling and tracking other chemical pollution—for contamination sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

“Everybody is going to get into fingerprinting,” scientist and Oregon State University professor Jennifer Field told Bloomberg Environment. “Fingerprinting is the first step in finger-pointing.”

Hundreds of lawsuits, dozens of state regulators, and countless citizens concerned about ...