Study finds high levels of PFAS in pesticides, 'lacing the world' with contamination
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility amplify study showing PFAS leaches off the walls of plastic containers and contaminate pesticides.
New research has documented disturbingly high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in widely used pesticides. These findings contradict previous statements by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that PFAS are not used in registered pesticide products and has prompted a coalition of groups and an elected leader to urge that the state of Colorado act immediately to ban use of any pesticide containing PFAS.
Published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters the study, the study, “Targeted Analysis and Total Oxidizable Precursor Assay of Several Pesticides for PFAS,” found PFOS (one of the two legacy PFAS that is no longer manufactured in the United States) in 6 out of 10 tested insecticides at incredibly high levels, ranging from 3,920,000 to 19,200,000 parts-per-trillion (ppt). By contrast, this June EPA updated its Health Advisory for PFOS to 0.02 ppt;