Read the full article by Amy Green (Inside Climate News)
“A dozen different ‘forever chemicals’ linked with cancer and other human health problems have been detected in the Everglades, Florida’s most important freshwater resource, responsible for the drinking water of millions in the state, according to new research.
It is the first time PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been measured on the Everglades reservation of the Miccosukee Tribe. For many generations the Indigenous people have inhabited the soaring cypress swamps and sweeping sawgrass prairies of the river of grass, a watershed encompassing much of the peninsula and which they regard as sacred.
PFAS are manufactured chemicals that have been used in consumer products since the 1940s. The chemicals can be found in items such as non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics and long-lasting cosmetics, but they do not break down easily in the environment and can accumulate in the bodies of humans and other animals. The problem is a growing concern as climate change increases the rain dumped by hurricanes and other storms, contributing to more runoff that can wash the chemicals into waterways.” …