One major environmental research group is warning that 12 Rhode Island drinking water sites impacting more than 50,000 Rhode Islanders have detected contamination of toxic PFAS — toxic fluorinated compounds.

The Rhode Island Department of Health, however, is challenging the accuracy of the methodology.

The known extent of contamination of American communities with PFAS “continues to grow at an alarming rate, with no end in sight,” said Environmental Working Group (EWG) in their release of the data this week.

As of March 2019, at least 610 locations in 43 states are known to be contaminated, including drinking water systems serving an estimated 19 million people, according to EWG.

“The Environmental Working Group’s map is not accurate. The Environmental Working Group appears to have summed all PFAS results from all wells in water systems. That is not how concentrations in drinking water works,” said Joseph Wendelken with the Department of Health.

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