The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to approve four new pesticides that contain fluorinated compounds that environmental groups classify as PFAS, arguing they fall outside its narrower definition of the persistent, toxic chemicals.
Britt E. Erickson reports for Chemical & Engineering News.
In short:
- The EPA plans to approve four pesticides — cyclobutrifluram, diflufenican, isocycloseram, and trifludimoxazin — despite each containing fully fluorinated groups associated with PFAS.
- Environmental advocates say the chemicals meet international PFAS definitions and warn they will persist in soil and water, potentially degrading into long-lived compounds like trifluoroacetic acid.
- The EPA defends its decision, citing a more limited PFAS definition and making risk assessments public; it is still accepting comments on two of the pesticides through mid-July.
- Overall, the EPA looks to register about 30 new pesticide active ingredients by the end of September, according to the director of the agency's pesticide office, in addition to completing review of about 40 new uses of existing pesticides to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act and requirements related to endocrine disruption testing.
Key quote:
“It’s like PFAS pollution on steroids these past few months.”
— Nathan Donley, director of environmental health science, Center for Biological Diversity
Why this matters:
The debate over how to define PFAS shapes which chemicals get regulated and which remain unchecked. If newer pesticides with fluorinated structures are excluded from PFAS rules, they could escape scrutiny even as they persist for decades or longer. As pesticide use intersects with water quality and long-term ecological impacts, the way regulators classify and evaluate these chemicals will shape human and environmental health far into the future.
Learn more: Pesticides in the US increasingly contain toxic PFAS chemicals
