Harmful "Forever Chemicals" Found in Insecticides Commonly Used in the US

According to a study, toxic "forever chemicals" have been found in commonly used pesticides in the US. In six out of ten pesticides tested, 'screamingly high' concentrations of PFOS, one of the most hazardous PFAS chemicals, were discovered.

Finding Traces of Forever Chemicals

According to a new study, toxic PFAS compounds have been found in seven of ten US pesticides tested. Six contained "screamingly high" concentrations of PFOS, one of the most hazardous PFAS chemicals, according to the study's principal author.

Despite being aware of the findings for more than 18 months, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not appear to have looked into the items or taken any action against the producer.

Crops are capable of absorbing PFAS, often known as everlasting chemicals. Public health groups claim that spreading such high doses of pesticides in areas where food is produced poses a health danger.

Harmful Chemicals

According to Kyla Bennett, a former EPA official and science policy director with the non-profit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), which released a press release on the study, "We know PFOS is a carcinogen, we know it's a deadly chemical, and there's no safe level in drinking water." "Our water and soil have become poisoned."

The EPA said in a statement to the Guardian that it is investigating active pesticide components, or those that kill bugs, to see if any include PFAS. PFOS could, nevertheless, be a harmless component.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of around 12,000 chemicals frequently used to make thousands of items resistant to heat, water, and stains. They build up in people and the environment because they do not naturally decompose. According to a growing body of research, they are associated with major health issues like cancer, birth abnormalities, liver disease, renal disease, autoimmune diseases, excessive cholesterol, and lowered immunity.

Researchers from Texas Tech University examined ten pesticides that were used on cotton but may be used on food and other crops. According to environmental toxicologist and research lead author Steve Lasee, who was working at Texas Tech University, PFAS was discovered in seven of these "widely used" pesticides in the peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters. He is currently a research fellow at the EPA and an independent consultant with Lasse Research and Consulting.

One pesticide tested positive for PFOS at 19m parts per trillion (ppt). The EPA has not established limits for PFAS in pesticides, but in June, it decreased its advised health guideline for drinking water to 0.02 ppt, a level so low that it appears there is no safe exposure to the substance.

According to Lasee, he presented his research in March 2021 to employees at the EPA's Office of Research and Development and a conference attended by both EPA employees and environmental science experts. He said he only ever heard from leadership in one of EPA's departments through email, urging him to submit his findings to other EPA employees.

Demanding Action

Lasee claimed to have identified the insecticide's active components. Still, he never received requests for the brand names, making it impossible for the EPA to determine which businesses had distributed contaminated goods.

Direct inquiries concerning the outcomes of the research or about Lasee's presentation to the EPA went unanswered.

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