US Food Pesticides Contaminated by Toxic Chemical Tests Forever
Some of the most widely used food pesticides in the United States are contaminated with "potentially dangerous" levels of toxic PFAS "forever chemicals", according to new product tests.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been silent on PFAS in food pesticides, even though it found the chemicals in non-food plant products. The potential for millions of acres of contaminated food cropland demands faster and stronger regulatory action, according to the authors of the paper. data-spacefinder-type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class="dcr-11ra563"/>
"I can't imagine anything that would make these products more dangerous than they already are, but apparently my imagination isn't big enough,” said Nathan Donley, director of environmental health sciences at the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), co-author of the study. The EPA must take control of this situation and remove pesticide products that are contaminated with these extremely hazardous and persistent chemicals."
The groups submitted the results of the testing to the EPA and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, asking them to remove these products from use until the contamination can be treated.
PFAS are a class of approximately 15,000 chemicals often used to make thousands of consumer products in dozens of industries are water, stain and heat resistant. The chemicals are ubiquitous and linked to low levels of exposure to cancer, thyroid disease, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, autoimmune diseases and other serious health issues. They're called "eternal chemicals" because they don't break down naturally.
Tests found PFAS in three of seven agricultural pesticides, including Intrepid 2F, that California state data shows is the second most widely applied product behind Roundup. In 2021, the most recent year data is available, more than 1.7 million pounds were applied on more than 1.3 million cumulative acres of California land. Use was highest in the Central Valley on crops such as almonds, grapes, peaches and pistachios.
The study also revealed the products chemicals contained in Oberon 2SC Malathion 5EC, the latter containing the neurotoxin malathion.
Several studies have established that crops absorb PFAS and can be ingested by humans. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began monitoring PFAS in foods in 2019 and detected them in fruits and vegetables, but set no limits.
Fertilizers are also likely to pollute water with PFAS. The level of PFOA, a type of PFAS compound, found in Malathion 5EC was more than 100,000 times higher than the level the EPA considers safe in drinking water, although no limit has been set for the PFAS in pesticides.
"There is no better way to poison Americans than to contaminate our food supply and soils with PFAS, and the blame That's entirely up to the EPA," said Kyla Bennett, co-author and director policy scientist with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer).
Not sure why the chemicals are added to pesticides, although some in industry have speculated that they are used as a dispersing agent. Intrepid 2F manufacturer Corteva-Agriscience in a statement to the Guardian said the product does not contain intentionally added PFAS.
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Some of the most widely used food pesticides in the United States are contaminated with "potentially dangerous" levels of toxic PFAS "forever chemicals", according to new product tests.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been silent on PFAS in food pesticides, even though it found the chemicals in non-food plant products. The potential for millions of acres of contaminated food cropland demands faster and stronger regulatory action, according to the authors of the paper. data-spacefinder-type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class="dcr-11ra563"/>
"I can't imagine anything that would make these products more dangerous than they already are, but apparently my imagination isn't big enough,” said Nathan Donley, director of environmental health sciences at the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), co-author of the study. The EPA must take control of this situation and remove pesticide products that are contaminated with these extremely hazardous and persistent chemicals."
The groups submitted the results of the testing to the EPA and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, asking them to remove these products from use until the contamination can be treated.
PFAS are a class of approximately 15,000 chemicals often used to make thousands of consumer products in dozens of industries are water, stain and heat resistant. The chemicals are ubiquitous and linked to low levels of exposure to cancer, thyroid disease, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, autoimmune diseases and other serious health issues. They're called "eternal chemicals" because they don't break down naturally.
Tests found PFAS in three of seven agricultural pesticides, including Intrepid 2F, that California state data shows is the second most widely applied product behind Roundup. In 2021, the most recent year data is available, more than 1.7 million pounds were applied on more than 1.3 million cumulative acres of California land. Use was highest in the Central Valley on crops such as almonds, grapes, peaches and pistachios.
The study also revealed the products chemicals contained in Oberon 2SC Malathion 5EC, the latter containing the neurotoxin malathion.
Several studies have established that crops absorb PFAS and can be ingested by humans. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began monitoring PFAS in foods in 2019 and detected them in fruits and vegetables, but set no limits.
Fertilizers are also likely to pollute water with PFAS. The level of PFOA, a type of PFAS compound, found in Malathion 5EC was more than 100,000 times higher than the level the EPA considers safe in drinking water, although no limit has been set for the PFAS in pesticides.
"There is no better way to poison Americans than to contaminate our food supply and soils with PFAS, and the blame That's entirely up to the EPA," said Kyla Bennett, co-author and director policy scientist with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer).
Not sure why the chemicals are added to pesticides, although some in industry have speculated that they are used as a dispersing agent. Intrepid 2F manufacturer Corteva-Agriscience in a statement to the Guardian said the product does not contain intentionally added PFAS.
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