Toxic substances in the forest: hikers alert fire brigade in Schmiedefeld!

Toxic substances in the forest: hikers alert fire brigade in Schmiedefeld!

Waldgebiet nahe Schmiedefeld, Deutschland - yesterday, on June 15, 2025, two buckets were discovered in the forest area near Schmiedefeld with a substance marked as poisonous. Four hikers who value “old potions” in the protective hut immediately alerted the local authorities. In the course of the operation, a total of 27 emergency services, including firefighters from Schmiedefeld, Vesser and specialists from the Suhl professional fire brigade. Dennis Kummer, the head of the Suhl fire brigade, confirmed the seriousness of the incident and the rapid use of the forces to ensure the potential danger.

toxic substances that have appeared in nature are not a rare phenomenon. The so-called PFAs (per- and polyfluorinated chemicals) are particularly questionable, which are now detected in Germany in Germany. These artificially produced chemicals, which occur in a variety of everyday products such as rain jackets, pans and cosmetics, are known for their dirt, water and fat-repellent properties and cannot be broken down in the environment. According to the information from Tagesschau , this also includes health risks, such as cancer, infertility and weakened immune system.

Could the revealing event in Schmiedefeld be connected to the nationwide challenges by PFAS? As toxic substances, PFAs are not only a danger to the environment, but also accumulate in humans. As the Environmental Office explains, these chemicals get into the body via food or drinking water and can cause long-term health damage, including increased liver weight and disturbing effects on lipid metabolism. In an examination of blood samples, increased values ​​for PFAs were also found in many cases, which indicates the widespread exposure.

The problem is reinforced by the fact that so far less than one percent of PFAS suspected cases have actually been renovated in Germany. The renovation costs for contaminated locations in Europe are estimated at around $ 17 billion, while the annual treatment costs for health consequences could potentially be even higher. There is a lack of systematic examinations of PFAS residues among the population, which makes it difficult to clarify and deal with these chemicals.

The acute discovery in Schmiedefeld is a call on how important it is to take such contamination seriously. Fortunately, the local population had reacted in time and informed the authorities. Nevertheless, the question arises how many such dangerous substances slumber in nature undiscovered and what effect this could have on health and our ecosystem. The incident clearly shows that we have to have a vigilant eye on our environment and there is still a lot to do to banish dangerous chemicals from our lives.