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Northwest Georgia is a picturesque place with rolling hills and open farmland. Its creeks and rivers have sustained families for generations. On the surface, the environment looks pristine. But within that

lush landscape, something toxic lurks that you can't see,

smell, or taste. For many years, locals had no clue of its presence. PFS are a group of

synthetic chemicals used to repel water and stains. Many of them don't break down, which is why they're

often called forever chemicals. They accumulate in the environment

and our bodies over time. PFS were used for years in the production of carpets in northwest

Georgia, and the long-term environmental and human cost in the region is high. I moved here around

age of five. I've basically been here ever since. That's a good chunk of my life. I just turned 34

a couple weeks ago. And I feel that's too young to feel how I do physically. What I technically

have been diagnosed with is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It's something that affects you

from the second you wake up to the second you go to bed. It makes me feel guilty as a mom,

you know, that when my kids ask to do something, and I have to explain to them, I don't feel well enough to do that.

I feel it's unfair to them, you know. I mean, we have to be realistic in the fact, liver is something you have to have to survive.

And if the damage continues, you eventually have to go on a transplant list.

And a transplant list is a long wait. My husband and I actually were discussing a will last night.

That's Stormy Bost. She's featured in the new Frontline documentary Contaminated, the carpet

industry's toxic legacy. It's a collaboration between frontline and

reporters from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Associated Press, AL.com, and the Charleston Post

and Courier. We're learning more as part of our local spotlight series where we highlight the work

of journalists where you live, and that includes Dylan Jackson. He's an investigative reporter

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