Talk:South Patrick Shores, Florida

PFAS

The Patrick Air/Space Force Base, just north of Satellite Beach, has had a long history of chemical and waste dumping. The base has been around since the 40’s and reports of safety and environmental violations have been consistent, as recent as 2017. Out of 54 toxic dump sites in Florida, 30 have been found within the borders of the base. While many metals and explosives have been successfully recovered and disposed of, there is a silent killer in Brevard. A chemical group known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been detected at dangerous levels. I urge Major Steve Osmer to order retesting and implement ion exchange treatment sites into the Indian River Lagoon, to reduce human deaths and environmental degradation. ​PFAS chemicals can cause cancer, reproductive harm, immune system harm, and child developmental harm. They are found in household products and food packaging, in small amounts. They are also used as a fire extinguishing foam, or aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). This foam is used heavily on Patrick Air/Space Force Base, and by NASA for launches and tests. PFAS has been found in soil, water, and air all over the world. The effects and location of these chemicals are only starting to be understood by scientists but is being continuously researched by colleges and independent laboratories. It was found in the blood of a dolphin located in the Indian River Lagoon decades ago, according to a study done by University of Florida. Universities all over the world continue to test these mysterious cancer chemicals. What we do know is that they cannot naturally break down, they can contaminate soils and contaminate drinking water, and they can ruin ecosystems, according to a summary by the EPA. ​The Indian River Lagoon already faces ecological harm from litter, excess nutrients, polluted rainwater, toxic runoff, and sewage spillage. The Banana River, a body of water within the Indian River Lagoon, was found to have PFAS levels 3.78 times the EPA’s drinking water health advisory, making it the highest concentration in all North America, according to the EPA itself. While no drinking water is sourced from the Banana River, PFAS can spread like wildfire- almost literally. Natural disasters, floods, rains, and hurricanes can spread PFAS to residential areas and other bodies of water. This is known as a geochemical cycle and makes it difficult for researchers to track. ​The City of Satellite Beach conducted their own research, led by Dr. Claudia Listopad of Applied Ecology. The memorandum report states safe drinking water for the city, although only 9 sites were tested. PFAS was found, but at levels that were safe. Satellite gets its drinking water from a water treatment site in Melbourne, on mainland Florida. The issue is not that these tests were done incorrectly, it’s that they were never going to show anything dangerous. Research by the University of Florida is still ongoing, but their published reports show a different story. The areas in which these chemicals effect have only reached a small percent of residential areas through drinking water. The areas tested by the city were south of the base and sealed off from soil contamination. A sample of the soil on the base itself, from 2018, showed 309,909 times the contamination risk level, according to UF. ​Activists have started to make websites with information about levels, at home testing, and pollution cleanups. Unfortunately, cleanups of these complex chemical strands can only be effective with professional equipment. Activated carbon treatments may seem like a cheap and easy way to remove PFAS from the river, such as Granular activated carbon (GAC) treatments, which act like a sponge to organic and synthetic chemicals. GAC treatments are cheaper than other treatments but leave an externality of waste that still contains PFAS. Activated carbon treatments also usually require lots of energy and water, making it unsustainable. GAC works very well for longer-chain chemicals in the PFAS family, but shorter chains such as perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and perflurobutyrate (PFBA) are not as effectively absorbed, according to research on PFAS cleanup by University of Toronto. Unfortunately, shorter chain chemicals are found in high levels in the Banana River and on Patrick Air/Space Force Base. This may be a cheaper first start, but problems such as these will linger or travel if not completely removed. Nanofiltration is another technology being implemented into areas with PFAS spills or high concentration levels. Similar to the effect of reverse osmosis, nanofiltration can reject multivalent ions, such as calcium. These nanofiltration devices are used on tap waters and drinking water in homes. It would be very costly to put together a filtration device large enough for the river. Although helpful for removing PFAS, like activated carbon, there is an issue with the waste with this treatment. ​Ion exchange treatment sites can be developed along the river for immediate and long-term removal of PFAS in the Indian River Lagoon. Negative ions, or anions, in ion exchange resins attract PFAS at all chain levels, meaning it can absorb what granulated activated carbon can’t. The material is acid, base, and water insoluble. It can be done by independent companies, rather than through government cleanups, making the wait little to none. Government cleanups generally require research to prove contamination, which the City of Satellite failed to gather in correct areas, funding, and then cleanup. This process can take years, and by that point, a larger area would need treatment due to the nature of PFAS spreading. There is also not any waste to be disposed of, as anion exchange resins (AER) can be incinerated, leaving no PFAS behind. It is 100% effective of all PFAS, but unfortunately, more costly. ​This is an issue that cannot be ignored. Hundreds have come forward to testify health issues that are not caused by genetics or lifestyle. Fight4Zero is a non-profit organization that fights for clean water in Florida. Many, including the founder Stel Bailey, have gotten a cancer diagnosis after living in Brevard, again with no family history. The cause is environmental. PFAS was found on the field of DeLaura Middle School and Satellite High School and there is now a spike in cancer cases between ages 20-30, according to the Department of Health in Brevard. With levels of PFAS so high in our waters, it is no wonder why cases are rising. 97.100.252.61 (talk) 19:52, 4 February 2023 (UTC)