Two well-known names in Leon County are raising the alarm and working to warn locals of the dangers of PFAS, more commonly known as “forever chemicals,” that have been found in a number of private wells throughout the Woodville area.
Ron Saff, an allergist, and Don Axelrad, a retired Florida A&M professor of environmental health sciences, are planning to host a press conference outside of City Hall on March 23 at 11 a.m. to discuss PFAS that the two have found in local water supplies.
According to their press release, “PFAS chemicals have been found extensively throughout Florida. Recently, numerous private drinking water wells in Woodville, a part of the greater Tallahassee area, have been found to be contaminated, as well as Wakulla Springs, one of the largest fresh water springs in the world.”
The two have tested a number of wells, even sending their information to the Florida Department of Health, but they say they are seeing little action on what they call a dangerous situation.
PFAS have been linked to health risks including cancer, thyroid disease, and immune system problems because they don’t break down easily in the environment or the body. While experts say even small amounts can pose long-term dangers, researchers are still debating how much exposure truly threatens human health.
At the same time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined there is effectively no safe level of PFAS in drinking water.
Saff and Axelrad will be joined by Fred Kocher, a geologist; Tony Murray, director and founder of Big Bend Coastal Conservancy; Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow and Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor.
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Local scientists to host press conference on PFAS, forever chemicals
Reporting by Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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