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Coast to coast, there are various environmental issues that can lead to serious risk for people and animals alike. Often, these are caused by hazardous chemicals that are used in various human activities, which then contaminate wild animals, plants and more. This is, unfortunately, an issue that has been noted in a wide variety of biomes in many parts of the country, and experts say requires addressing sooner than later.<\/p>\n
For instance, North Carolina was recently found to be home to significant contamination of aquatic animals<\/a> thanks to PFAS chemicals, according to the Wilmington Star News. Research from North Carolina State University found that alligators living in a lake in Wilmington had PFAS levels 10 times greater than those in a lake about 30 miles away. Even higher levels of PFAS contamination were also spotted in striped bass in the region.<\/p>\n While it's not clear why this was the case, the researchers noted that PFAS chemicals – which have been linked to many significant illnesses – are often used at nearby Fort Bragg and manufactured at a plant in Wilmington. The data in the study suggests that the affected animals have been affected through weakened immune systems and liver function. About 90 percent of the PFAS in the analyzed animals came from a chemical most often found in foam used for fighting fires.<\/p>\n Across the country<\/strong> It's not certain what impact this might have on the local environment, but scientists say understanding the risk is of the utmost importance, and thus work to study it must be done as quickly as possible, the report said. Generally speaking, contaminants from urban fires – such as heavy metals and various chemical fluids – can stay in an environment long after a fire, potentially doing lasting damage on an ecosystem or human inhabitants.<\/p>\n "It's fundamentally critical that we be able to understand these situations and the risks to populations both in the short term and in the long term," Aubrey Miller, a senior medical adviser for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, told the newspaper.<\/p>\n What's the impact?<\/strong>
In California, where recent wildfires incinerated entire countrysides, researchers are increasingly finding that these blazes not only level towns, but in doing so, release clouds of toxic gas<\/a> and other contaminants, according to The Washington Post. A study on the issue – which has not yet been published – found that in the wake of one such fire from 2017, soil samples from a nearby wilderness showed as many as 2,000 different chemical compounds embedded there.<\/p>\n
When PFAS ends up in local environments, humans can quickly be affected by the contamination<\/a>, according to the city of Madison, Wisconsin. The local government recently announced that it had detected trace PFAS contamination in six of its well systems. The city tested 14 wells so far, out of the 23 it operates, and is advising residents to be cautious about using water if the affected wells serve their homes.<\/p>\n