California Assemblymember Nick Schultz introduced AB 1603 to prohibit the use, sale, and manufacture of PFAS pesticides in California by 2035. The bill aims to safeguard the nation's produce from these "forever chemicals." Schultz, a Democrat representing Burbank, said he was shocked to learn that pesticides with intentionally added PFAS are regularly sprayed on the state's crops.
Between 2018 and 2023, more than 2.5 million pounds of pesticides containing PFAS were sprayed on California crops, according to an analysis by the Environmental Working Group. The EWG also detected residues of at least one PFAS pesticide on nearly 40 percent of conventional produce grown in the state.
PFAS have nearly indestructible chemical bonds that allow them to resist water, grease, and heat. These properties have led to their buildup in the environment and in the tissues of wildlife and people. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to impaired vaccine response, higher cholesterol levels, increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, and lower birth weight.
The European Union has outlawed two of the most commonly applied pesticides, bifenthrin and trifluralin, due to health and environmental concerns, according to EWG science analyst Varun Subramaniam. For the 23 California-approved PFAS pesticides that are prohibited in the European Union, the ban would begin five years earlier, in 2030, under AB 1603.
The most frequently detected pesticide on produce was fludioxonil, a PFAS fungicide linked to hormone disruption and reproductive problems, Subramaniam said. The toxic compound tainted 90 percent of tested nectarine, plum, and peach samples grown in California.
Schultz said that farmers may have no idea they're applying these chemicals to their land, and local governments and water agencies aren't informed about the presence of PFAS either. AB 1603 would ensure that communities and growers are informed that PFAS pesticides are being used until they're phased out. The bill states that the EPA has approved 70 active-ingredient PFAS pesticides, and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation has allowed 53 of these to be used in the state.
California Assemblymember Nick Schultz introduced AB 1603 to prohibit the use, sale, and manufacture of PFAS pesticides in California by 2035. The bill aims to safeguard the nation’s produce from these "forever chemicals." Schultz, a Democrat representing Burbank, said he was shocked to learn that pesticides with intentionally added PFAS are regularly sprayed on the state’s crops.
Between 2018 and 2023, more than 2.5 million pounds of pesticides containing PFAS were sprayed on California crops, according to an analysis by the Environmental Working Group. The EWG also detected residues of at least one PFAS pesticide on nearly 40 percent of conventional produce grown in the state. Andrew Sandoval, a Salinas city council member, stated that studies have shown that Salinas children are born with higher levels of pesticides in their urine and experience early cognitive difficulties.
PFAS have nearly indestructible chemical bonds that allow them to resist water, grease, and heat. These properties have led to their buildup in the environment and in the tissues of wildlife and people. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to impaired vaccine response, higher cholesterol levels, increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, and lower birth weight. Nearly every American has PFAS in their blood.
The European Union has outlawed two of the most commonly applied pesticides, bifenthrin and trifluralin, due to health and environmental concerns, according to EWG science analyst Varun Subramaniam. For the 23 California-approved PFAS pesticides that are prohibited in the European Union, the ban would begin five years earlier, in 2030, under AB 1603. California farmers sprayed nearly 4 million pounds of toxic chemicals on fruits and vegetables over six years.
The most frequently detected pesticide on produce was fludioxonil, a PFAS fungicide linked to hormone disruption and reproductive problems, Subramaniam said. The toxic compound tainted 90 percent of tested nectarine, plum, and peach samples grown in California. More than half a million pounds of PFAS pesticides were applied in Monterey County between 2018 and 2023.
Schultz said that farmers may have no idea they’re applying these chemicals to their land, and local governments and water agencies aren’t informed about the presence of PFAS either. AB 1603 would ensure that communities and growers are informed that PFAS pesticides are being used until they’re phased out. The EPA has approved 70 active-ingredient PFAS pesticides, and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation has allowed 53 of these pesticides to be used in the state, according to the bill.
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The sources also report that California farmers sprayed nearly 4 million pounds of bifenthrin and trifluralin—two PFAS pesticides banned by the European Union—on fruits and vegetables between 2018 and 2023.