Pesticides may contain an alarming amount of 'forever chemicals': Study

Toxic "forever chemicals" are increasingly appearing in U.S. pesticides — contaminating waterways and posing a possible threat to human health, a new study has found.

Pesticides containing these compounds, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are used widely nationwide on staple foods, such as corn, wheat, kale, spinach, apples and strawberries, according to the study, published on Wednesday in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Known for their ability to linger in the human body and the environment, PFAS have been linked to many different illnesses, such as thyroid disease, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

PFAS-laden pesticides are also used inside homes, for flea treatments on pets and in insect-killing sprays, noted the authors, who represent several different environmental organizations.

The researchers — from the Center for Biological Diversity, the Environmental Working Group and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility — said they drew their conclusions by compiling data on sources of PFAS in pesticide products.

"I can think of no better way to poison people and the environment than to spray PFAS-laden pesticides on our crops and in our homes,” Kyla Bennett, science policy director at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said in a statement.

In addition to their presence in pesticides, these compounds are found in certain types of firefighting foam, industrial discharge and in a wide range of household items — particularly in many of those with non-stick or waterproof properties. 

"Lacing pesticides with forever chemicals is likely burdening the next generation with more chronic diseases and impossible cleanup responsibilities," Nathan Donley, environmental health science director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.

Among the study's findings that the scientists flagged as most troubling was their observation that 14 percent of all U.S. pesticide active ingredients are PFAS. Within the past decade, about 30 percent of such approved ingredients were PFAS.

Thousands of types of PFAS exist in the world, but all of these compounds are synthetic and none exist in the natural environment.

Of the many different variations of these chemicals, the study authors found that two legacy compounds that have largely been phased out of production — PFOS and PFOA — are still present in some pesticide products. They attributed that contamination to the possible leaching of fluorinated containers — those whose makeup includes fluorine, a precursor for PFAS.   

Because pesticides can amass PFAS from multiple sources, the scientists warned that a single container may house a mixture of different kinds of compounds. They also noted that PFAS-laden pesticides have been discovered in waterways across the country.

At the same time, the researchers stressed that the U.S. regulatory environment is not equipped to identify and quantify the risks PFAS pose via pesticides.

“Toxic PFAS have no place in our food, water or homes, posing a serious threat to our health and environment,” David Andrews, deputy director of investigations at the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement. “The increasing use of PFAS pesticides will lead to increasing levels of PFAS in the environment."