Florida’s popular ‘Fountain of Youth’ has a secret ingredient – it could kill you
A local water fountain in Florida, nicknamed the “Fountain of Youth,” is hiding a potentially deadly secret: Its radium concentrations are twice as high as safe to drink.
In the middle of Punta Gorda, a sleepy beach town two hours south of Tampa, stands an unassuming drinking fountain that has become a local legend.
Residents immediately declared it the ‘Fountain of Youth’, after the mythical font wanted by conqueror Ponce de Leon, which was said to make drinkers younger.
Today the fountain is frequented by visitors who want to keep their youthfulness. But be careful, this ‘magical’ spring water is radioactive.
Alarming tests conducted in the 1980s showed it contained as much as 9 picocuries of radium — double the federal safety limit, officials reported Click on Orlando.
The ‘Fountain of Youth’ is a hidden gem that has been keeping Floridians young and vibrant for years, but it may be hiding a potentially deadly secret
But be careful before you take a sip: this water is radioactive
But that doesn’t stop thrill-seeking tourists and seasoned locals from lining up to sample this supposedly timeless fountain.
Health officials have reportedly attempted to close the fountain in the past but have faced fierce community opposition.
Now there is a clear warning sign that forms the only barrier between visitors and potential danger: ‘Use water at your own risk.’
“The water from this well exceeds the maximum radioactivity limits set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in the Safe Drinking Water Act.”
In the heart of Punta Gorda, a sleepy beach town two hours south of Tampa, sits an unassuming drinking fountain that has become a local legend
Locals call it the ‘Fountain of Youth’, with accounts throughout history of people claiming the fountain has preserved their youth. Today, lines form around it, desperate to get a drop of the magical water.
Alarming tests conducted in the 1980s showed the well water contained as much as 9 picocuries of radium — double the federal safety limit
Today, lines form around the waterfall as people desperately seek a drop of the magical water
But U.S. Geological Survey researcher Zoltan Szabo told NPR: “Well, that sign may be scary, but a little radioactivity isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
“If that was your drinking water, and that was your only water source, and you drank it for 70 years — even then you would still only have a one in 20,000 risk,” he said in 2013.
Surprisingly, the water may even have some health benefits.
According to NPR, it may contain magnesium sulfate, which is known to reduce cardiovascular risk and improve respiratory health.
But once you take a sip, another drawback comes into play: the foul odor.
The idea of a “Fountain of Youth,” which Ponce de Leon sought, has been the subject of countless stories throughout history, dating back to the 5th century BC.
The mythical spring is said to reverse the aging process of anyone who drinks from it or bathes in it
News 6 described the stench as “sulfur and mildew” — not exactly the scent of eternal youth.
But despite the risks, this radioactive remnant remains accessible to the public.
The idea of a ‘Fountain of Youth’ has been the subject of countless stories throughout history, dating back to the 5th century BC.
The mythical spring is said to reverse the aging process in anyone who drinks from it or bathes in it.
It appeared in the writings of Herodotus (5th century BC), in the Alexander romance (3rd century AD), and in Pope John’s accounts of the early Crusades (11th/12th century AD).