MAINE PUBLIC • July 25, 2024
A new national study concludes that PFAS chemicals are getting into pesticides in a variety of ways, as active and inert ingredients, but also leaching from containers and other unknown sources. The study, published this week in Environmental Health Perspectives, found a variety of PFAS present in pesticides, including PFOA and PFOS, two of the most toxic PFAS. Sarah Woodbury with Defend Our Health said the findings are disappointing, given that pesticides are not just used in agriculture, but also in forests and gardens. The paper also found that PFAS chemicals make up 14% of active ingredients in U.S. pesticides, and nearly 30% of all active ingredients approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in the last ten years.