PFAS 'forever chemicals' detected in 13 Long Island bodies of water, new study finds
In New York, PFAS was detected in 93.3% of the 182 testing locations included in the study.
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PFAS "forever chemicals" have been found in 13 bodies of water across Long Island, according to a new report that highlights the widespread reach of the contaminants in the region's waterways.
The findings, released by the Environment America Research & Policy Center, are based on PFAS monitoring data collected from rivers, lakes, streams and other surface waters between 2022 and 2024.
Researchers primarily used data from the Environmental Protection Agency's Water Quality Portal, supplemented by monitoring data from the nonprofit Waterkeeper Alliance.
“It’s unfortunate, but the more we test for PFAS, the more PFAS contamination we will find throughout Long Island’s groundwater and surface waters," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"We know PFAS is contaminating groundwater, so it is inevitable that the PFAS will flow into lakes, rivers, streams, and the marine environment," Esposito said. "The real answer is to prevent PFAS contamination from continuing to enter our aquifer system by banning the toxic chemical from everyday products and commercial use.”
The report's authors noted that PFAS monitoring remains limited in many parts of the country, meaning the findings likely capture only part of the contamination present in U.S. waterways.
In New York, PFAS was detected in 93.3% of the 182 testing locations included in the study.
PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of human-made chemicals that have been linked in scientific studies to a range of potential health risks for people and animals.
The EPA says thousands of PFAS compounds exist and are used in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products, making their environmental and health impacts difficult to fully assess.
The Long Island locations identified in the report include:
Manhasset Bay
Willets Creek
Penataquit Creek
Waters of Speno Memorial Park
Connetquot Brook
An area near Lake Ronkonkoma
Carmans River
Multiple sections of the Peconic River
Beaverdam Creek
An area near Bellows Pond County Park
An area near Peconic Dunes County Park
The NYSDEC released the following statement:
DEC is prioritizing the removal and prevention of the many forms of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) pollution to help create healthier ecosystems and communities. New York State mitigates by deploying regulatory controls, best available treatment technologies, and policy solutions that help eliminate PFAS at the source.
In December 2025, DEC launched a progress report detailing New York State’s leadership in addressing PFAS; released a new study detailing the widespread presence of PFAS on the landscape; finalized important wastewater treatment plant guidance that protects drinking water and other surface waters; proposed new policies that direct DEC’s actions in PFAS investigations and sampling of biosolids products; and launched a new webpage – dec.ny.gov/pfas -- that provides a one-stop resource about these and other initiatives and information about DEC’s multifaceted efforts to address PFAS.
