Poisoned Produce: EPA Approvals Threaten Public Health
By: Chelsea McDonald
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin continues to put industry interests ahead of public health and the environment. His latest action is the approval of two pesticides containing toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are linked to cancer, reproductive harm, immune dysfunction, and widespread drinking water contamination. Cyclobutrifluram is now allowed on turf, ornamentals, romaine lettuce, cotton, and soybean seed, while isocycloseram is approved for citrus, potatoes, and Brassica vegetables.
More approvals for these “forever chemicals” are coming. Instead of protecting communities, Administrator Zeldin is dismissing scientific evidence, fast-tracking pesticides that threaten drinking water and public health, and downplaying the dangers of chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and already contaminating waterways nationwide. Meanwhile, he is avoiding accountability and ignoring the hard work needed to develop practical solutions that prioritize protecting the environment and public safety.
Synthetic carbon–fluorine bonds, the perfluoroalkyl structures referenced in the PFAS acronym, are what make a chemical a PFAS. It also gives these forever chemicals their characteristic resistance to heat, oil, and water. For decades, manufacturers have packaged this as a positive quality for consumers while hiding its dark side: these same bonds that prevent PFAS from breaking down easily also allow them to build up in our water, soil, and air, creating a dangerous pathway for these toxins to be absorbed by people and all living organisms. There are already thousands of different types of PFAS in circulation and more being produced every day, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which are widely found in waterways at high levels and are among the most dangerous. Studies have proven time and time again that PFAS are already pervasive in the environment.
That is why international organizations, like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development define a chemical as PFAS as soon as one of these bonds are present. Zeldin claims multiple carbon-fluorine bonds must be present to pose a public safety threat. This would allow industry to tinker with their formula to dodge regulation, but not necessarily make their product safe for the public. Requiring each type of PFAS to be proven individually dangerous before taking action will cause meaningful protections to be permanently out of reach.
That is why Waterkeeper Alliance and local Waterkeeper groups are monitoring waterways to expose the true level of contamination and are calling for all PFAS to be regulated as a class.
It is past time for EPA to do its job. Lee Zeldin cannot hide behind obscure definitions to create loopholes for profit-hungry manufacturers. The public doesn’t care if it’s three perfluorinated carbons or four, but we know that we don’t want PFAS poisoning our produce.
Chelsea McDonald is the manager of Waterkeeper Alliance’s Clean Water Defense Campaign. A critical part of this campaign is a multi-phase monitoring initiative with local Waterkeeper groups, collecting essential data to close gaps, advocate for stronger regulations, expand research, and fund more effective water treatment technologies, especially in communities already facing disproportionate impacts. Learn more about the initiative here, and help protect clean water by making a donation today. Your generosity directly supports monitoring efforts, advocacy, and litigation to advance our mission to protect the right to clean water in communities around the world.