PAHs in Everglades Florida Water

Unhealthy Levels of PAHs in the Water Supply of Everglades Florida Homes

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — often shortened to PAHs — are a group of organic chemicals that can enter water when fuel, oil, or combustion byproducts reach the environment. You’ll see them listed as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on lab reports, and because they include many related compounds they can be hard to track. Homeowners in Everglades may not detect PAHs by taste or smell, so the safest approach is to reduce exposure by treating water before it reaches your taps.

PAHs tend to be hydrophobic, so they cling to sediment and organic material rather than staying evenly dissolved — which means concentrations can change when water is stirred up by storms, construction, or shifts in source. In coastal and flood-prone areas near Everglades, that behavior can make levels unpredictable and sometimes accompanied by discoloration or petroleum-like odors when other contaminants are present. For steady protection across showers, cooking and laundry, treating the whole house is more reliable than relying only on individual point-of-use devices.