Can citizens help map PFAS pollution in their own environment? In 2025, Pulsaqua and Avans University of Applied Sciences explored exactly that question through a citizen science pilot that enabled residents to collect PFAS samples from local waterways using a simple, low-cost sampling method.
The pilot was initiated following a request from the Scientific Institute of the Dutch political party Nieuw Sociaal Contract (Wetenschappelijk Bureau NSC), which sought to explore whether citizen science could provide a more accessible, affordable, and scalable approach to PFAS monitoring while maintaining scientific reliability. The project brought together researchers, citizens, and policymakers around a shared challenge: generating better environmental data on PFAS contamination and making environmental monitoring more accessible to communities.
Why PFAS?
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are a large group of synthetic substances used in products such as non-stick coatings, waterproof textiles, firefighting foams, and industrial processes. Because they break down very slowly, PFAS accumulate in water, soil, wildlife, and people.
Monitoring PFAS is essential, but traditional laboratory analyses are often expensive, technically complex, and difficult to scale across large geographic areas. As a result, many communities lack detailed information about PFAS levels in their local environment.
We wanted to explore whether citizen science could help fill part of that gap.
Developing a New Monitoring Approach
Together with researchers from Avans University of Applied Sciences, Pulsaqua developed and tested a citizen-friendly PFAS sampling method.
Participants received a small sampling kit containing a vial, a syringe, and a specially designed PFAS filter. After collecting a water sample and measuring basic water quality parameters, participants pushed the water through the filter. The filter retained PFAS compounds, allowing the samples to be analyzed later in the laboratory.
The approach offers several advantages. It significantly reduces sampling costs compared to traditional PFAS monitoring, requires minimal sample preparation time, enables participation by non-specialists, and allows monitoring to take place across many more locations than would normally be feasible. At the same time, scientific quality is maintained through laboratory analysis and quality assurance procedures at Avans.
Most importantly, it allows communities to contribute directly to environmental monitoring efforts.
A Nationwide Citizen Science Pilot
The pilot involved approximately fifty participants across the Netherlands. Citizens collected samples from rivers, canals, ponds, urban waterways, and other freshwater systems.
The collected filters were analyzed at Avans University of Applied Sciences using advanced mass spectrometry techniques capable of detecting and identifying PFAS compounds at very low concentrations.
The results demonstrated that citizens can successfully collect samples suitable for scientific PFAS analysis when provided with clear protocols and appropriate tools. The pilot also demonstrated the value of distributed environmental monitoring, allowing measurements to be collected across a much larger geographic area than would typically be possible through conventional monitoring programmes.
Sharing the Results
On 8 May 2025, Pulsaqua, Avans University of Applied Sciences, and the Wetenschappelijk Bureau NSC presented the results of the pilot during a public event in Rotterdam. The event brought together citizens, researchers, policymakers, water professionals, and environmental organizations to discuss the findings, the methodology, and opportunities for future citizen-led PFAS monitoring.
The pilot results were published through an interactive online dashboard, allowing participants and interested stakeholders to explore measurements geographically and gain insight into PFAS contamination patterns across different locations. The dashboard demonstrates how citizen science can contribute to generating spatially detailed environmental data that would be difficult to obtain through conventional monitoring programmes alone.
During the event, participants not only explored the results of the pilot but also discussed how citizen science could contribute to future PFAS monitoring efforts, increase environmental awareness, and support communities seeking a better understanding of contamination in their local living environment.
From Data to Dialogue
One of the most important lessons from the pilot was that environmental monitoring is not only about generating data. It is also about creating shared understanding.
By involving citizens throughout the process, from sampling to interpretation, the project connected scientific knowledge with local experience. Participants contributed observations about waterways, pollution concerns, and environmental changes that provided valuable context for understanding the results.
The pilot also demonstrated the strong public appetite for participating in environmental research. Citizens were not only interested in collecting samples but also in understanding the results, discussing their implications, and exploring what they mean for the health of local ecosystems and communities.
Looking Ahead
The pilot represents an important first step toward a larger vision: enabling communities to actively participate in monitoring and stewarding their local water systems.
Building on these results, Pulsaqua and Avans are now working with citizen groups and regional partners to further develop the method and apply it in areas where PFAS contamination is a major public concern. Future projects will explore monitoring across entire watershed systems, including rivers, smaller water bodies, sediments, and rainfall, helping communities better understand how PFAS moves through interconnected environmental systems.
By combining citizen science, scientific expertise, and local knowledge, we believe communities can play a meaningful role in understanding and addressing complex environmental challenges. Through this approach, environmental monitoring becomes not only a scientific exercise but also a tool for learning, dialogue, and collective stewardship of our shared water resources.
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