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| Indian River Lagoon at sunrise with NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and the moon |
Forever Chemicals in the Indian River Lagoon
Brevard County, Florida—On a sticky summer morning along the Indian River Lagoon, the water looks deceptively calm. A fisherman casts his line, scanning the ripples for mullet. A pod of dolphins breaches in the distance, and ospreys circle overhead. To the casual eye, this is Florida at its most alive. But beneath the shimmering surface lies an invisible threat, one that neither fish nor fisherman can escape.
In Brevard County, home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and several Department of Defense bases, scientists have detected some of the nation’s highest levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—PFAS, more commonly known as “forever chemicals.” At multiple sites, concentrations soared past the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) health advisory limit of 70 parts per trillion.
That number might sound small. But in the world of toxicology, parts per trillion is like a single drop of ink in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools, and even at that microscopic level, PFAS are linked to cancer, immune system damage, developmental delays, and hormone disruption.
What Are Forever Chemicals?
PFAS are a family of synthetic compounds prized for their resistance to heat, oil, and water. They coat nonstick pans, waterproof jackets, and food packaging. They also form the backbone of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a firefighting foam that the military used for decades. Their strength is also their curse: PFAS don’t break down in the environment. Instead, they accumulate in groundwater, in wildlife, and in our blood.
In people, PFAS can remain for up to eight years before the body naturally eliminates half the dose. That means every sip of contaminated water, every fish caught downstream, adds to a toxic burden that never truly goes away.
A History Buried in Plain Sight
The story of PFAS is not just about science. It’s about choices, and decades of negligence. Internal studies show that by the 1970s, the Department of Defense and chemical manufacturers already knew these compounds were hazardous. In 1998, the EPA confirmed the toxicity, yet regulations stalled. Training drills with PFAS-laced foam continued. And with every drill, toxic chemicals seeped into Florida’s sandy soil, creeping toward the aquifer that supplies drinking water.
The Moment of Reckoning
It wasn’t until early 2018 that the Department of Defense finally released a sampling report confirming widespread PFAS contamination in Brevard County’s groundwater and drinking water. For local residents, the revelation landed like a bombshell. Families who had trusted their taps suddenly had to ask: What have we been drinking? What have our children been exposed to?
NASA, too, acknowledged contamination at the Kennedy Space Center. PFAS concentrations in groundwater there exceeded federal standards, proving that even America’s flagship space agency had left a toxic footprint.
A Lagoon in Peril
Downstream, the Indian River Lagoon is paying the price. Already stressed by algal blooms, sewage leaks, and habitat destruction, the estuary is now absorbing “forever chemicals” from military and industrial sites. The lagoon supports more than 4,000 species of plants and animals, from the iconic manatee to delicate seagrasses that sustain entire food chains. PFAS, which bioaccumulate as they move up the food web, could turn this ecological jewel into a toxic sink.
Accountability and the Future
For decades, the agencies charged with protecting public health and natural resources failed to act. The military trained with AFFF long after its dangers were known. The EPA delayed meaningful regulation despite mounting evidence. NASA, an institution synonymous with human ingenuity, let contamination seep into Florida’s groundwater.
Today, residents are left to shoulder the cost of inaction. They are demanding answers, medical testing, and above all, cleanup. Scientists warn that the longer PFAS remain unchecked, the harder and more expensive the crisis will be to contain.
The question that lingers is not just scientific or legal; it is moral. How many more communities must discover that their water, their land, and their bodies have been poisoned before the country admits the true cost of “forever chemicals”?
Learn More & Take Action
- Fight for Zero – Visit our website: fight4zero.org
- Community Conference – Join our first annual event: Facebook Event
- ORCA (Ocean Research & Conservation Association) – Fish Monitoring Program
- EEARSS (Environmental Education Awareness Research Support & Services) – About Us
- Department of Defense PFAS Timeline – EWG Resource
- Toxicologist PFAS Limit Suggestions – Chronic Exposure Summary
- PFAS as a Chemical Class – Environmental Science & Technology Letters
- PFAS in Lagoon Wildlife – Conference Presentation (John Bowden, 2018)