California has banned PFAS from a variety of products — including clothing, bedding, makeup and shaving cream — out of concern that the family of toxic chemicals can be harmful to humans and the environment.
Now, state lawmakers have taken up a proposed law to ban the “forever chemicals” from use in farm pesticides, after research recently showed that nearly two-fifths of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables tested by California regulators have residues of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).
At issue: Should the state continue to allow the chemicals in pesticides, as long as they remain in low concentrations deemed safe by the federal government? Or should they be banned entirely because of the concern that cumulative exposure threatens public health?
Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank) embraces what he believes is the more cautious view in Assembly Bill 1603, which would prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of PFAS-laden pesticides beginning in 2035.
So far “PFAS pesticides have largely been used in California with no limitations, and we’re only just beginning to understand the long-lasting effects of these pesticides,” said Varun Subramaniam, a co-author of the report that found PFAS residue on 37% of California produce. “As the bread basket of the United States, residues that are found on produce grown in California will spread across the nation.”
Schultz’s proposed law faces opposition from a variety of farming organizations, which argue, among other things, that PFAS are more stable and less dangerous than alternatives. They also say the California law would put them at a disadvantage to growers in other states and countries. They point to regulations the state Department of Pesticide Regulation already has in place, which the agency argues are sufficient to protect consumers.
“A detection [of PFAS] alone does not indicate a health concern,” the Department of Pesticide Regulation states on a bulletin on its website. “Tolerance levels represent the scientifically established threshold for safety. California’s residue monitoring consistently shows very low levels of pesticide residues. In 2023, of the 1,059 produce samples labeled as ‘grown in California,’ 99% had residues below U.S. EPA tolerance levels.”
Schultz and his supporters, including Subramaniam of the Environmental Working Group, said the EPA and state pesticide agency have not examined the health effects adequately. They note that PFAS have been linked to altered immune thyroid function, liver and kidney disease, limited reproductive development, cancer and other ailments.
Subramaniam said the EPA “frequently waives reporting requirements for immunotoxicity data when PFAS pesticides are first registered,” adding, “this results in key health issues — like suppressed responses to infection — being overlooked when setting limits.”
The concern about health effects may have gained momentum this week, when research from USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center suggested that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains actually put nonsmoking Americans under the age of 50 at greater risk of developing lung cancer.
“While these food groups are presumed to have good health benefits, there is an emerging, under-appreciated literature that produce-based whole foods often contain high pesticide/herbicide contaminants,” the paper said. The researchers did not single out PFAS but they acknowledged the finding was counterintuitive and called for further investigation.
California
Lorraine Bird, 86, went missing and was found dead in California’s high desert. Her death has stumped investigators and opened up a rift within her family.
Ellen says, “As a physician, I decided to try out working in California as there were more 4 day work week jobs there than in Texas. Ended up working for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Compton. While I enjoyed living in northern Long Beach (rented) and commuting to the clinic was ok, ultimately I decided it was too expensive to get real estate in California … So I am back in the piney woods of northeast Texas where we have more rain and it is beautiful … I do miss the more liberal politics though.”
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