NonPoint Forensics

Environmental chemical data science

Transforming Complex Chemical Data into Defensible Insight

NonPoint Forensics helps environmental consulting and forensic organizations maximize the useful information available from complex chemical data through advanced data science, multivariate statistics, and machine learning.

You provide the chemical data.
We reveal the evidence within it.

Why we exist

Bridging the Gap

Modern analytical chemistry can generate extraordinary amounts of chemical information. Yet translating those high-dimensional datasets into clear, scientifically meaningful conclusions remains a significant challenge.

NonPoint Forensics was founded to bridge this gap. We specialize in extracting and interpreting information from complex chemical datasets. By applying advanced data-analysis approaches, we help determine what the available data can reveal—and what they cannot—about environmental sources, mixtures, patterns, and processes.

We bridge the gap from complex chemical data to informed decision-making using robust, transparent, and scientifically defensible multivariate analyses.

Diagram showing chemical data transformed through advanced data science, scientific expertise, and robust analyses into defensible interpretation, clear communication, and actionable insight.

Featured Applications

Our analyses are tailored to the scientific question and the information available in each dataset. The examples below illustrate how our broader analytical capabilities can be applied to environmental decision-making.

Know When Further Investigation Is Warranted

Detecting PFAS or another contaminant does not necessarily mean that an environmental condition is unusual or warrants an extensive investigation. NonPoint Forensics can evaluate chemical measurements relative to appropriate background or reference conditions to determine whether a sample is consistent with expected chemical variability or provides evidence of an unusual chemical signature. This provides an intermediate decision point between initial detection and committing substantial resources to additional sampling or site investigation.

Differentiate Environmental Impacts from Baseline Conditions

Environmental systems contain substantial chemical variability, which can make it difficult to distinguish the effects of a particular source, activity, or process from existing conditions. Contaminant Burden Ordination (CBO; patent pending) evaluates changes in the collective chemical composition of environmental samples relative to a defined baseline, allowing systematic chemical impacts to be detected and tracked without requiring every contributing chemical to be individually identified.

Selected Research

Science Behind Our Approach

Our work is grounded in peer-reviewed research developing and applying advanced data-science methods to complex environmental chemical data.

Leadership

Expertise Behind the Work

NonPoint Forensics combines specialized expertise in high-dimensional chemical data analysis with experienced operational leadership, project management, and responsive client engagement.

Gerrad Jones, founder and principal scientist of NonPoint Forensics

Gerrad Jones, PhD

Founder & Principal Scientist

Dr. Jones is an environmental engineer and Associate Professor at Oregon State University specializing in environmental forensics, high-dimensional chemical data analysis and machine learning. His research develops and applies quantitative methods for chemical fingerprinting, source attribution, mixture deconvolution, and the interpretation of nontargeted chemical data. With more than 20 years of experience in multivariate analysis, he brings these approaches to NonPoint Forensics to maximize the useful information available from complex chemical data and translate it into clear, quantitative evidence for environmental and forensic applications.

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Rachel Jones, co-founder and director of operations at NonPoint Forensics

Rachel Jones, PhD

Co-Founder & Director of Operations

Dr. Jones brings a background in project management and administration, with expertise in partnership development, scientific and technical writing, and project coordination. At NonPoint Forensics, she oversees operations and client engagement, helping ensure that each project is delivered efficiently and supported by responsive, high-quality service from initial consultation through final deliverables.

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Have a PFAS concern?

We can help determine what your chemical data can reveal about sources, mixtures, environmental patterns, and potential impacts—and where the available evidence reaches its limits.

Discuss Your Project