United States EPA approves new PFAS food pesticides | JQJO

Washington, United States – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has authorized trifludimoxazin, a pesticide classified as a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, or PFAS, for use on major food crops including wheat, oats, oranges, apples, and almonds, according to documents posted on regulations.gov. On the same day, the agency also approved two additional pesticides, diflufenican and epyrifenacil, and expanded uses for the PFAS pesticide bifenthrin while granting the first food-crop authorization for chlormequat. Environmental health advocates say these decisions raise the total number of PFAS-containing pesticide approvals under the current administration to five in less than two years.

PFAS chemicals, known formally as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are characterized by their extreme persistence in the environment and resistance to breaking down. Researchers from the Center for Biological Diversity and the Environmental Working Group have previously warned that these substances increasingly contaminate waterways and pose significant, long-term threats to human health. The EPA did not issue a public press release announcing the new approvals, instead placing the supporting documents on a federal regulatory website. The combination of new and expanded pesticide uses is prompting public concern about chemical residues in the U.S. food supply and the potential long-term impact on water quality and public health.