DumpRadar is built on 40+ peer-reviewed studies and 17 free federal datasets. Here is exactly how the zones, the score, and the data fit together.
Research establishes distinct exposure bands radiating from a landfill. These are the scientific basis for DumpRadar's zones.
Highest risk. Acute respiratory symptoms correlated with H₂S, groundwater leachate (heavy metals, benzene), and landfill gas migrating into basements. Residents within 1 mile show 38% greater odds of lower life satisfaction (NIH 2024).
Key pollutants: H₂S, methane, benzene, vinyl chloride, dioxins, PCBs, PAHs, lead, mercury, arsenic, ammonia, PFAS.
Moderate risk. Air dispersion and groundwater plume migration are active. The EUROHAZCON study (Lancet) designated 0–3 km the "proximate" zone for elevated congenital anomalies near hazardous sites.
Key pollutants: dispersed VOCs, particulate matter, episodic H₂S, bioaerosols.
Low-to-moderate risk. An Oxford study of 242,409 people within 5 km of nine landfills found a strong association between H₂S exposure and lung-cancer mortality and respiratory hospitalization.
Key pollutants: cumulative VOC exposure, regional particulates, legacy groundwater migration.
Minimal documented risk from a single landfill. Controls placed 8–40 km away showed no statistically significant elevation. This does not mean "safe" in absolute terms — only that risk isn't distinguishable from background rates.
| Normalized EIS | Classification | Red | Orange | Yellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85–100 | Extreme | 2.0 mi | 5.0 mi | 7.5 mi |
| 70–84 | Severe | 1.5 mi | 4.0 mi | 6.0 mi |
| 55–69 | Elevated | 1.0 mi | 3.0 mi | 5.0 mi |
| 40–54 | Moderate | 0.75 mi | 2.0 mi | 4.0 mi |
| 20–39 | Low | 0.5 mi | 1.5 mi | 3.0 mi |
| 0–19 | Minimal | 0.25 mi | 1.0 mi | 2.0 mi |
Zones are then made asymmetric by prevailing wind: downwind sectors extend ~50% farther; upwind sectors compress ~40%.
16 factors across 4 domains, on a 200-point raw scale normalized to 0–100. Higher scores expand the zones.
Type & waste stream, age & liner era, capacity utilization, flood-zone status.
Reported methane (GHGRP), gas-collection effectiveness, subsurface fire, PFAS emission risk.
Liner & leachate controls, enforcement history, TRI toxic inputs, proximity to water.
Red-zone population, sensitive groups, environmental justice, wind-direction exposure.
Every source is free and publicly accessible via government API or download. Total licensing cost: $0.
| # | Source | What it provides | Format | Auth | Update |
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A 2025 USC/NIH study linked PFAS in drinking water to an estimated 4,626–6,864 cancer cases per year. Washington State explicitly uses "within 1 mile of a landfill" as a PFAS screening criterion. The EPA's UCMR5 dataset — 1.7M+ results across 9,950+ public water systems — is freely available and used by no consumer tool today.
DumpRadar pulls UCMR5 results for every public water system within a facility's zones and compares them directly to the 4 ng/L EPA limit for PFOA and PFOS.
EPA limit for PFOA & PFOS (finalized Apr 2024)
Public water systems in UCMR5
| Finding | Source | Year |
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DumpRadar is an informational tool and is not a substitute for a professional environmental site assessment. Risk classifications are modeled estimates derived from public data.