Essential Online Databases for Environmental Research
Air Force Administrative Record Search
Search: https://ar.afcec-cloud.af.mil/
Drinking Water Database
In many cases, the levels of contaminants that the government regulations allow are higher than what current research suggests is safe. This is why the Environmental Working Group (EWG) developed a tap water database.
Type in your ZIP Code to find out what is in your tap water: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/
Civil and Cleanup Enforcement Cases and Settlements
Link: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/summary-criminal-prosecutions
Civil Cases and Settlements
Link: https://cfpub.epa.gov/enforcement/cases/
Corporate Compliance Screener
Search: https://echo.epa.gov/facilities/compliance-screener
Cleanups in my Community Search
Search: https://www.epa.gov/cleanups/cleanups-my-community
Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO)
Focuses on inspection, violation, and enforcement data for the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data.
Link: https://echo.epa.gov/
Environmental Protection Agency Database Searches
https://www.epa.gov/enviro/topic-searches
Environmental Justice Communities
Learn More: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-your-community
Facility Registry Service (FRS) Search
Search: https://www.epa.gov/frs/frs-query
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Public Record Request
Submit your request: https://www.epa.gov/foia
Greenhouse Gas Search
Search: https://enviro.epa.gov/envirofacts/ghg/search
Manufacturing and Chemical Industries Near You
Search: https://enviro.epa.gov/facts/tri/form_r_search.html
My Environment Summary
Type in your state: https://enviro.epa.gov/myenvironment/
Reuse of Contaminated Lands
Learn more: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/addressing-liability-concerns-support-cleanup-and-reuse-contaminated-lands
RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Facility Information Search
Research: https://enviro.epa.gov/envirofacts/rcrainfo/search
Safe Drinking Water Act Violation Report
Search: https://enviro.epa.gov/envirofacts/sdwis/search/form?state_abbr=FL
Search Property for Environmental Concerns
Research: https://enviro.epa.gov/facts/myproperty/
Superfund Facility and Geographic Search
SEMS: https://enviro.epa.gov/envirofacts/sems/search
Superfund Sites Across the United States
Search for Superfunds Near You: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live
Superfund Enforcement:
Info: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/superfund-enforcement
Radiation in Air and Water Search
Monitoring stations distributed across all 50 states regularly sample the nation's air, precipitation, and drinking water for a variety of radionuclides and radiation.
Search: https://enviro.epa.gov/envirofacts/radnet/search
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Search
Variety of reports for every facility that has reported to EPA since 1987.
Search: https://www.epa.gov/enviro/tri-search
Wastewater/Stormwater/Biosolids Facility Search
Search: https://echo.epa.gov/facilities/facility-search?mediaSelected=cwa
Essential Online Databases for Health Research
Cancer Statistics in the United States
SEERS database: https://seer.cancer.gov/
Blood Test for Heavy Metals
Arsenic, blood; cadmium, blood; lead, blood; mercury, blood
Lapcorp: https://www.labcorp.com/tests/706200/heavy-metals-profile-ii-whole-blood
Blood Test for Lead
Lapcorp: https://www.labcorp.com/tests/007625/lead-whole-blood-adult
Blood Test for PFAS Exposure
Empowered DX: https://empowerdxlab.com/products/product/pfas-16-test-legacy-compounds
Hair Analysis Test
Aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, lead, lithium, mercury, phosphorus, strontium, thallium, uranium, vanadium, zinc
DHA Lab: https://www.dhalab.com/shop/drhebroni-hair-toxic-essential-elements/
Mold Allergin Serum Test
Lapcorp: https://www.labcorp.com/tests/062448/allergen-profile-mold
State Cancer Profiles
Cancer statistics across the nation
Statistics Center by American Cancer Society
Estimates: https://cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org/#!/
Health and Cancer Statistics by State
-
Alaska: https://health.alaska.gov/dph/VitalStats/Pages/cancer/registry.aspx
-
Arizona: https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/public-health-statistics/cancer-registry/index.php
-
Arkansas: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/arkansas-cancer-registry
-
California: https://www.ccrcal.org/learn-about-ccr/
-
Connecticut: https://portal.ct.gov/dph/Tumor-Registry/CTR-Home
-
Florida: https://fcds.med.miami.edu/
-
Georgia: https://northcentralhealthdistrict.org/georiga-cancer-registry/
-
Hawaii: https://www.uhcancercenter.org/research/shared-resources/hawaii-tumor-registry
-
Idaho: https://www.idcancer.org/
-
Illinois: https://dph.illinois.gov/data-statistics/epidemiology/cancer-registry.html
-
Indiana: https://www.in.gov/health/cdpc/cancer/cancer-registry/
-
Kentucky: https://www.kcr.uky.edu/
-
Louisiana: https://sph.lsuhsc.edu/louisiana-tumor-registry/data-usestatistics/
-
New York: https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/cancer/registry/
-
Maine: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/public-health-systems/data-research/vital-records/mcr/
-
Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/massachusetts-cancer-registry
-
Maryland: https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/cancer/pages/mcr_home.aspx
-
Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/providers/forms/michigan-cancer-surveillance-program
-
Minnesota: https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/mcrs/index.html
-
Mississippi: https://www.cancer-rates.info/ms/
-
Missouri: https://medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/cancer-registry-research-center
-
Montana: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cancer/tumorregistry
-
Nebraska: https://www.unmc.edu/cancercenter/registry/registries/
-
Nevada: https://dpbh.nv.gov/Programs/NCCR/Nevada_Central_Cancer_Registry_(NCCR)_-Home/
-
New Hampshire: https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/nhscr/
-
New Jersey: https://www.cinj.org/research/new-jersey-state-cancer-registry-njscr
-
New Mexico: https://hsc.unm.edu/new-mexico-tumor-registry/statistics/
-
North Carolina: https://schs.dph.ncdhhs.gov/units/ccr/
-
North Dakota: https://ndcancer.org/
-
Ohio: https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/ohio-cancer-incidence-surveillance-system
-
Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/diseasesconditions/chronicdisease/cancer/oscar/pages/index.aspx
-
Pennsylvania: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Reporting-Registries/Cancer-Registry/Pages/Cancer%20Registry.aspx
-
Rhode Island: https://health.ri.gov/programs/detail.php?pgm_id=124
-
South Carolina: https://scdhec.gov/CancerRegistry
-
South Dakota: https://www.sdcancerstats.org/
-
Tennessee: https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/tcr/tennessee-cancer-registry-data.html
-
Texas: https://www.texascancer.info/cancerdata/dataandstatistics.html
-
Vermont: https://www.uvmhealth.org/medcenter/departments-and-programs/cancer-data-registry
-
Virginia: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-cancer-registry/
-
Washington: https://doh.wa.gov/data-statistical-reports/diseases-and-chronic-conditions/cancer-data
-
West Virginia: https://oeps.wv.gov/cancer/Pages/default.aspx
-
Wisconsin: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wcrs/index.htm
Florida Resources for Environment
Certified Laboratory Testing Search
Search: https://floridadep.gov/dear/florida-dep-laboratory/content/nelap-certified-laboratory-search
Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System
Maintained by USF's Dr. Drobert Weisberg, provides information regarding currents and seal levels from an array of buoys and coastal stations.
Link: http://comps.marine.usf.edu/
Fish Monitoring Project by ORCA
Donate fish to this project designed to collect data related to the accumulation of toxins in fish living in the Indian River Lagoon and contributing waters (e.g., Lake Okeechobee, canals).
Link: https://www.teamorca.org/fish-monitoring/
Florida's Air Quality Monitoring
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) continuous monitoring of ozone and fine particle pollution.
Single Site Data: https://floridadep.gov/air/air-monitoring/content/single-site-data
Multiple Site Data: https://fldep.dep.state.fl.us/air/flaqs/selectreport.asp?
Florida Aquifer Locations Map
Florida Brownfield Sites
Florida Statewide Cancer Data System
Data: https://fcds.med.miami.edu/inc/publications.shtml
Florida Statewide Cancer Incidence
Visit Florida health chart: https://www.flhealthcharts.gov/ChartsDashboards/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=NonVitalInd.Dataviewer&cid=0460
FDEP Environmental Document Search
Click Public Oculus Login: https://depedms.dep.state.fl.us/Oculus/servlet/login
FDEP Facility and Document Search
Information Portal: https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DepNexus/public/searchPortal
FDEP List of Maps
View: https://fdep.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html
Florida Fish and Wildlife Invasive Plant Control Map
Map: https://ipm-myfwc.shinyapps.io/AnnualRep/
Florida Fish and Wildlife Spray Schedule
Schedule: https://app.myfwc.com/hsc/pmars/waterbodyschedule.aspx
Florida PFAS Investigation
Federal Facilities: https://floridadep.gov/waste/waste-cleanup/content/pfas-investigation-federal-facilities
Invasive Plant Control Map
Map: https://ipm-myfwc.shinyapps.io/AnnualRep/
Phosphate Lands Where Food is Grown
Public Drinking Water Plants in Florida
Search Hazardous Waste Sites by County, Chemical, or Site
Stormwater Permit Map
Link: https://ca.dep.state.fl.us/mapdirect/?focus=npdes&zoom=query&querytype=npdes&queryvalues=FLR20EW35
Subscribe to Notices of Pollution
Provide an email address to subscribe to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) public notice of pollution notification list.
Subscribe: https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DepPNP/reports/addSubscriber
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
Search: https://edap.epa.gov/public/extensions/newTRISearch/newTRISearch.html?
View Submitted Notices of Pollution
View pollution notices to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
Submitted Notices of Pollution: https://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DepPNP/reports/viewIncidentDetails?page=1
Environmental Interactive Maps
Enviro Mapper
Link: https://enviro.epa.gov/enviro/em4ef.home
Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping
Link: https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen
Radium Contamination Map
By the Environmental Working Group (EWG)
Toxic Sites in the United States Map
Link: https://www.toxicsites.us/
Environmental Testing Resources
Drinking Water At Home Test Kits
TapScore: https://mytapscore.com/
PFAS At Home Water Test Kit
Environmental Health Policy Watch
PFAS Contamination Bill Tracker
Safer States: https://www.saferstates.com/toxic-chemicals/pfas/
CANCER CLUSTERS
Bayshore High: "Cancer cluster" concerns at Bayshore High are under investigation.
Fort Pierce: Rare form of cancer sickens 11 people within a seven-mile radius.
Miami: Higher-than-expected rates of pediatric cancers have been identified in the Miami metro area and an area west of the Everglades.
Palm Bay: Harris Corp. has been cited for sloppy handling of hazardous waste, including cancer- causing pollutants, flammable solvents, and sludge that could contaminate groundwater.
Palm Beach County: At least 13 cases of brain cancer.
Patrick Air Force Base: Cancer-Causing Chemicals Detected In Groundwater At Patrick Air Force Base.
Seminole County: Researcher studies number of rare childhood brain cancer cases in Central Florida.
Southwest Florida: A closer look at where a cancer-causing chemical was found in SWFL tap water.
The Silence of the State: This is a story about pediatric cancer clusters in Florida.
DID YOU KNOW?
Class I and II surface water classification requires that the surface waters of each state be classified according to designated uses. Florida has six classes with associated designated uses, which are arranged in order of the degree of protection required.
-
Class I: Portable water supplied fourteen vernal areas throughout the state, including impoundments and associated tributaries, certain lakes, rivers, or portions of rivers, used as drinking water supply.
-
Class II: Shellfish propagation or harvesting generally coastal waters where shellfish harvesting occurs. geodata.dep.state.fl.us
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is a federal law that protects public drinking water supplies throughout the nation. Under the SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and, with its partners, implements various technical and financial programs to ensure drinking water safety. https://www.epa.gov/sdwa
If a community has to do a "chlorine burn," it is a drinking water utility's first step in admitting something is wrong. The length of chlorine burns should be kept to a maximum of 21 days. An event such as a chlorine burn or a switch from chloramine to chlorine is considered to be part of the normal operations of a system for periodic maintenance. Erin Brockovich
Dozens of EPA Superfund sites, such as the gasification plant, which leaked dangerous chemicals into the ground, still exist throughout Central Florida. Read More: Superfund Sites
As of 2011, cancer is now the leading cause of death for Floridians, surpassing heart disease. In the three-year period from 2009-2011, the total number of cancer deaths was 122,921. There's an average of 100,000 new cancers diagnosed and reported each year to the statewide cancer registry, the Florida Cancer Data System. Florida Health
Florida was projected to have the second-largest number of new cancer cases in the United States. Tandfonline
Hazardous waste permits provide treatment, storage, and disposal facilities with the legal authority to treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste. Source: EPA Hazardous Waste Permitting
"Dr. Amin’s statistical analysis of pediatric cancers in Florida – from the years 2000 to 2007 – concluded that there are significant cancer clusters in two large areas of Florida: the southern region of Florida and in northeast Florida. That struck one of the most sensitive nerves in state government." Source: https://www.counterpunch.org/2015/06/04/cancer-clusters-in-florida-the-silence-of-the-state/
"A statewide increase in pediatric cancer rates that started in 2005. Five separate research teams from the group Science and Public Policy analyzed data from 2000-2010. Although their methodologies differed, they were all attempting to detect cancer clusters in the Florida area. "Unusually high" cancer rates." Source: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/researchers-find-pediatric-cancer-clusters-in-florida-042115.html
What is Environmental Health?
We don't always see it, but our environment affects public health. Most people assume that health outcomes mostly result from individual choices, and although genetics plays a role, many external things can influence how healthy we are. The connections between our environment and public health are difficult to imagine. For example, if you live in a city with polluted water, it may be dangerous to eat the fish you catch. It's essential to reduce chemical and other environmental exposures in air, water, soil, and food to protect people and provide communities with healthier environments. Environmental health consists of preventing and controlling diseases related to the interaction between people and their environment. Unlike diet and exercise, many ecological health facts can't be managed at the individual level. Combatting the risk they pose often takes laws, policies, and programs. It takes a comprehensive and coordinated effort to protect the health and safety of communities throughout Florida.
Protecting Our Children
Children are often the hardest hit by the consequences of poor environmental exposure. For their size, they breathe more air and eat more food than adults, making them more vulnerable to environmental health hazards. Even low levels of toxic exposure can affect children's physical and mental development.
Investing in Our Communities
Communities are often unaware of the threat of chemical exposure. Providing basic needs to the public, such as safe drinking water, clean air, lead poisoning prevention, and more, are essential to public health. Investing in dedicated resources will create an effective system that proactively protects Florida communities and helps everyone attain good health.
Need for Action
Tracking environmental exposures in communities across Florida is important to finding potential links with disease outcomes. Our homes should be free of exposures that negatively impact the health of our families.
We should all have access to safe and clean public spaces. This requires the participation of federal, state, and local governments.
PROTECT CHILDREN
Children have an increased risk from environmental hazards compared to adults during development. https://www.who.int/ceh/risks/en/
The National Academy of Sciences estimates that 50% of lifetime pesticide exposure occurs during the first five years of life. https://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/lawn/factsheets/Pesticide.children.dontmix.pdf
Children experience great exposure to toxic chemicals n their environment based on their body size. Pesticide.children.dontmix.pdf
Children's metabolic pathways are immature. In many cases, children are more vulnerable because they are less able to detoxify and excrete toxic substances than adults. https://www.who.int/ceh/capacity/Children_are_not_little_adults.pdf
Delicate developmental presses are easily disrupted while children undergo rapid growth and development. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp358
Even minute exposures to toxic chemicals during these critical windows of development can lead to permanent injury to the brain and other organ systems.
Because children have more years of life ahead, there is more time to develop the disease than can be triggered by early environmental exposures. https://www.who.int/ceh/risks/en/
Children need healthy environments to play and learn in so that they may reach their full potential. As adults, we must ensure that children are protected from environmental threats like toxic chemicals and air pollution.