Read the full article by Robert Burns (Michigan Advance).
“Detroit’s rivers carry the story of our city, tracing a path from industrial triumph and economic power to the heavy toll of pollution left behind by poorly regulated manufacturing and corporate greed.
Today, one of our most iconic waterways, the Rouge River, faces a quiet but growing threat from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These so-called ‘forever chemicals’ are the source of a serious and rapidly escalating public health crisis in the Detroit area. Our rivers, which are a particularly vulnerable pathway for PFAS, are essential to the health of our city, sustain local ecosystems, and connect us to the entire Great Lakes region.
Thanks to their virtually indestructible qualities, ‘forever chemicals’ have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1950s and have accumulated in our environment with little oversight for decades. Long-term exposure to these toxins is consistently linked to serious health effects, including cancer, liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced vaccine response, and pregnancy complications.
While the existing federal drinking water standard limits some of these compounds, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to roll back regulations for several harmful PFAS, including PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX, and delay enforcement of new rules for PFOA and PFOS – two of the most dangerous compounds.”…