Survey: Nearly Two Thirds of Florida Residents Would Pay for PFAS Cleanup

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals, have become a significant source of water contamination throughout the United States. These chemicals, which are nearly indestructible and do not break down naturally, have been used to make consumer products like nonstick cookware and firefighting foam used at airports and military bases.

Unfortunately, PFAS have seeped into the environment and built up in drinking water supplies at potentially alarming levels. Research has tied exposure to PFAS to serious health conditions, including kidney and testicular cancer.

Florida, with several military bases and known contamination sites, has been particularly susceptible to this problem.

Drugwatch surveyed 1,000 Florida residents ages 18 to 64 about their knowledge of PFAS, mitigation efforts they have taken, what they think should be done about the problem and more.

Residents reported varying levels of knowledge about PFAS and significant concern about how these chemicals may impact them.

Additionally, the survey showed that awareness of the potentially serious health impacts of PFAS exposure remains somewhat low.

Survey respondents were provided a list of health conditions that have been scientifically connected to PFAS. They were then asked which they thought were associated with the chemicals. More than a quarter of respondents selected none of the above, with another 10.1% selecting that PFAS are not tied to any health conditions.

Floridians expressed shock when they learned that some health problems, including kidney cancer, testicular cancer, worsened response to vaccines and more, are linked to forever chemicals.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that PFAS are everywhere. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly all Americans have at least some level of forever chemicals present in their blood.

But awareness of PFAS remains relatively low despite their far-reaching presence. Only about 8% of Floridians are familiar with PFAS, while 42% of respondents said that they had never heard of these chemicals before taking the survey.

That number may seem high, but it could represent an improvement in awareness.

“I think if you had asked this question 10 years ago, the percentage would probably be a lot higher of people who have never heard of it,” Scott Bartell, an environmental health researcher at UC Irvine who has studied PFAS for decades, told Drugwatch.

While PFAS have been used and manufactured for decades, research on their serious health impacts has picked up significantly since the early 2000s. But even as the scope of PFAS water contamination became clearer, few Floridians recall their local or state government alerting them to the issues.

Of respondents who had heard of PFAS before taking the survey, only around 15% said that they learned of it from their city, county or state government. The most common way people learned about these chemicals was through media coverage.

“Media is kind of the number one way that word gets out to the general public,” Bartell said.

More than half of Florida residents surveyed consider PFAS water contamination to be a major problem in the state, with another 39% believing it to be a minor problem. The latest evidence backs up their concerns.

In 2024, researchers at the University of Florida analyzed water samples across 67 Florida counties and detected PFAS in 63% of spring water vent samples. Florida’s freshwater springs account for 90% of the state’s drinking water.

Many water systems across Florida also report concerning levels of PFAS as part of contaminant monitoring required by the Environmental Protection Agency.

PFOA and PFOS are two types of forever chemicals that have been extensively studied and linked to serious health conditions, including cancer. Of Florida public water systems that serve 10,000 or more people, over 100 have reported quantities of PFOA and PFOS in excess of limits proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

More than half of Floridians do not believe that the proper protections are in place to keep PFAS water contamination under control in the state. Yet, there is no easy way to remove these chemicals from the environment.

“Once it’s in the groundwater, it’s very difficult to get it out,” Bartell said. “That’s going to remain contaminated for millennia.”

Many Floridians have already taken steps to mitigate their PFAS exposure. Some of the most popular actions by survey respondents include using a water filter, switching to bottled water or avoiding products like nonstick cookware.

These simple steps could have a notable impact.

“If I had PFAS in my water, I wouldn’t wait. I would take steps now to make sure I remove that source of exposure,” Bartell said. “Even water filters like Brita filters, that you can buy at Target or on Amazon, are pretty inexpensive. It’s not a large investment to invest in even just a basic Brita filter.”

Drugwatch’s survey showed that many Floridians are aware of PFAS and have made an effort to lower their exposure to these potentially dangerous chemicals. However, many residents still underestimate the health concerns tied to exposure.

Survey respondents were presented with seven health conditions and asked to select which they believed were connected to PFAS. But research has found potential links between all of the conditions listed and exposure to forever chemicals.

More than a quarter of survey respondents said that PFAS are not tied to any of those conditions, with another 10% stating that PFAS are not connected to any health issues of any kind.

Hundreds of respondents expressed shock and concern after being informed that all of the listed health conditions are associated with PFAS.

PFAS mitigation efforts are possible, but they can be costly. Current water treatment processes may not be effective in keeping these possibly harmful chemicals out of water supplies.

“The standard water treatment processes that make sure the water doesn’t have microbiological contaminants and comes out clear from the tap, those standard processes unfortunately don’t remove PFAS,” Bartell said. “Water systems have to actually build new treatment processes or new treatment facilities to deal with this problem, and it is expensive.”

Many Florida residents appear willing to chip in to make that happen. More than 63% of respondents said they would be willing to pay slightly higher water bills to fund PFAS cleanup.

Other parts of the country have shown that mitigating PFAS risk through better treatment facilities is possible. According to NPR, the largest PFAS water treatment plant in the nation opened in California in 2021.

For someone like Bartell, who has studied the effects of PFAS for years, seeing such a high willingness among Florida residents to pay for chemical cleanup is an encouraging sign.

“I find that number reassuring,” he said. “People don’t want toxic chemicals in their water and most of us, we’d rather not pay more than we have to, but we’re willing to pay a little more to get safe drinking water.”

Florida residents who were surveyed believe that PFAS water contamination is not just a broad state issue, but one that affects them every day.

Over 70% of respondents said that they believe contamination is a problem in their immediate area. Their concerns are not unwarranted as research suggests PFAS have built up to harmful levels in some areas.

Florida is one of 13 states that account for 75% of PFAS detections in drinking water across the country, according to an article in Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

The EPA has determined that the maximum levels of PFOS and PFOA in water supplies should not exceed four parts per trillion (PPT) and is planning to give water systems until 2031 to comply with that figure.

Research links PFOA to a higher risk of kidney and testicular cancer and has been classified by the World Health Organization as a carcinogen, with PFOS classified as possibly carcinogenic.

Thousands of PFAS lawsuits have been filed by people who say they were impacted by these issues, with chemical manufacturers already agreeing to multibillion-dollar settlements with various water systems.

But in Florida, many public water systems continue to far exceed the four PPT limit established by the EPA.

Of 589 large water systems that have reported on PFAS contamination in the state, more than 20% exceed the PFOS limit, and 11% report PFOA levels above the limit. Additionally, 209 small water systems have reported PFAS contamination results, with approximately 20% exceeding the limits for PFOS and about 10% for PFOA.

According to data from the Environmental Working Group, tests of water systems across the state in recent years have detected potentially dangerously high levels of contamination.

The data shows that PFAS remains a serious problem across the state of Florida. In virtually every region, some water systems report levels of PFAS well above the limits set by the EPA.

But as awareness grows, Drugwatch’s survey shows that calls for action are increasing as well. Many Floridians consider PFAS contamination to be a major problem in the state and are even willing to pay money to help clean up these chemicals.