Our Mission

Home Hazards Report exists to help American families identify and protect against invisible dangers in their homes. Most homeowners have no idea their tap water contains PFAS, their walls are coated in lead paint, or radioactive radon gas is seeping through their foundation.

We compile EPA data, housing age records, water quality reports, and local contamination studies into free, easy-to-understand hazard reports for 50+ major US cities. Our goal is simple: give every family the information they need to make their home safe.

What We Do

Our Data Sources

All hazard data comes from official government sources:

• EPA: Radon zone maps, water contamination records, enforcement actions
• US Census Bureau: Housing age data for lead paint risk assessment
• State Agencies: Water quality reports, local contamination studies
• CDC: Lead exposure data, health risk assessments
• USGS: PFAS contamination studies, groundwater surveys
• HUD: Lead paint statistics, risk estimates by housing age

We update our data quarterly as new government reports are published. Last update: December 2025.

Who Is Behind This Data?

Founder: Ray Rothwell

Home Hazards Report was founded by Ray Rothwell, an environmental and GIS analyst who has spent his career working with the same kind of government contamination data this site is built on. Rather than a generic review site, we approach home safety with a data-first methodology rooted in the federal environmental standards Ray worked with directly.

Background & experience:

• U.S. EPA, Region IX (San Francisco): Former GIS analyst in the hazardous-waste (RCRA) enforcement division, supporting PCB cleanup projects, San Francisco Bay mercury-contamination mapping, and hazardous-waste facility inspections.
• NASA DEVELOP program: Environmental geospatial research, including water-quality sampling fieldwork in partnership with California public-health and wildlife agencies.
• Education: B.A. in Environmental Studies (cum laude) and graduate coursework toward an M.S. in Geographic Information Science, San Francisco State University — including environmental law, policy, and public health.
• U.S. Marine Corps veteran: Bringing a standard of precision and accountability to how we vet every source.

How we work — and what we're not

We are transparent about our methodology. Home Hazards Report is a research and analysis site, not a laboratory. Every guide is:

• Grounded in independent data: We interpret EPA, USGS, CDC, and manufacturer data and independent lab validation — we don't run our own product tests or radon chamber.
• Fact-checked against federal standards: We reference specific government thresholds (e.g., the EPA's 4 pCi/L radon action level) rather than guessing.
• Independent: We're not owned by any testing lab or product manufacturer, and affiliate commissions never influence our recommendations.

We are not a testing laboratory, medical professionals, or a certification body. We report on certifications and published testing; for personalized medical advice, consult your doctor.

How We Make Money

Home Hazards Report is free to use. We earn commissions when readers purchase testing kits or filtration products through our Amazon affiliate links. This allows us to:

• Keep all hazard reports completely free
• Maintain and expand coverage to more cities
• Update data as new studies are published
• Create in-depth educational content

We only recommend products that meet EPA standards, have independent lab certifications, and positive user reviews. Our hazard data and health information are completely independent of affiliate relationships.

Contact Us

Have questions about your home's hazards? Notice incorrect data in your city's report? Want to suggest a city we should add?

We're constantly improving our data and expanding coverage. Your feedback helps us serve families better.