A new investigation has revealed a growing presence of “forever chemicals” in the nation’s largest agricultural hub, California. Nearly 40 percent of non-organic fruits and vegetables grown in the state now contain traces of pesticides classified as PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”
The report, which was released this month by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), analyzed 2023 pesticide residue data from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s annual monitoring program.
The analysis tested 930 samples of 78 different types of conventionally grown produce within the state. The findings suggest that while these pesticides may meet current federal safety thresholds, they represent a rapidly “emerging threat” as they accumulate in the environment and the human body.
Peer-reviewed studies have linked PFAS exposure to increased cancer risk, decreased fertility, and immune system suppression, while California farmers apply an average of 2.5 million pounds of PFAS pesticides annually across 58 counties, which take “forever” to breakdown and contaminate the water and soil.
According to EWG, 37 percent of California-grown produce samples contained at least one of 17 different PFAS pesticide residues. For many popular fruits, the contamination rate was significantly higher:
- Stone Fruits: More than 90 percent of nectarine, peach, and plum samples contained the PFAS fungicide fludioxonil, which is often sprayed after harvest to prevent mold.
- Berries and Grapes: Over 80 percent of cherries, strawberries, and grapes sampled carried PFAS residue.
- Multiple Exposures: Finding multiple chemicals on a single piece of produce was common. Strawberries were found with as many as 10 different PFAS pesticides.
Several types of produce had no detectable amounts of PFAS pesticides, EWG reported. These include sweet potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn, avocados, and summer and winter squash. Avocados, sweet corn, cauliflower, watermelon and mushrooms are routinely part of EWG’s Clean Fifteen.
While the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) notes that 97 percent of produce tested in the state remains within federal “health-protective” thresholds, health advocates argue that federal standards do not account for the cumulative effect of being exposed to a “cocktail” of multiple pesticides over decades. The EPA is beginning to regulate PFAS in drinking water as their use in agriculture is currently expanding.
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