Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs 

also see fludioxonil, flupyradifurone, pesticides in water,  Legislation/Regulatory/Canada p.2, remediation/removal 

Some pesticides contain fluorine and some formulants (inerts) are fluorine based. In addition, at least HDPE plastics used in containers (i.e.for food and pesticides) contain them as well, and they are now known to leach from these containers into the content. The leaching is worse in products formulated in organic solvents such as methanol compared with water-based products. For both solvents tested (methanol and water), the study also shows continued gradual leaching of PFAS over time according to the EPA. Some pesticides contain a trifluoromethyl group that end up breaking off and forming ozone-depleting chemicals.It is apparently had to get information on that topic.

There are 15,000 PFAS according to a chemicals database (CompTox) maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Viability of Hemp as a PFAS Remediation Tool Moves Forward, as Contamination Spreads(Beyond Pesticides, January 23, 2025) According to reporting by Bangor Daily News, “Starting in 2025, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Upland Grassroots, University of Virginia, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District will use a four-year, $1.6 million EPA grant to continue hemp planting at the former Loring Air Force Base and testing potential ways to extract PFAS per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from harvested hemp.”    PFAS, colloquially known as “forever chemicals,” persist in various petrochemical-based pesticides, chemicals, and other consumer products.   PFAs have widespread direct uses and are widespread contaminants in 'homes and gardens, food, water, and soil. PFAS compounds have been found to contaminate water and irrigation sources, and soils themselves — often through the use of fertilizers made from so-called “biosludge” (biosolids) from local waste treatment plants where PFAS active ingredients can end up. In addition, run-off from land treated with PFAS active ingredients, these treatment plants may discharge millions of gallons of wastewater into waterways, contaminating them; current waste and water treatment generally does not eliminate PFAS compounds from the treated effluent water.'Of the 28 PFAS varieties identified in the soil, 10 were found in the harvested hemp plants, according to the group’s research. (T)he group now must contend with how to properly dispose of the contaminated plants without contributing to landfills or leading to eventual exposure in future generations.

Early ‘forever chemicals’ exposure could impact economic success in adulthood – study (The Guardian, 10 January, 2025)      'Those (children) wholived in regions with firefighting training areas earned about 1.7% on average less later in life, and showed a graduation rate about 1% lower. Those born between 1981-1988 earned about $1bn less in today’s earnings, or about $1,000 a person on average, compared to those who did not live near the firefighting training sites.  The data also shows lower birth weights among the population – a factor linked to lower economic success later in life...  The chemicals have been used as the primary ingredient in firefighting foam because the formulas are effective at putting out jet fuel fires, or other difficult to manage fires. The Department of Defense is still trying to get a handle on the scope of its pollution around bases.      The study looked at children who were born during a period between 1969 and 1989. It found a stronger correlation in lower earnings among those born later in that period, probably because the chemicals can take several years to pollute groundwater, and the level of pollution likely grew.      The data also showed declines in birth weight starting in the late 1970s, with an average birth weight decrease of nearly eight grams by the 1980s.'

US environmental agency fast-tracking new PFAS approvals for semiconductors      Hastened reviews of compounds as industry ramps up could increase pollution from likely toxic chemicals  (The Guardian,  19 December 2024)       Semiconductors are essential to electronics used in defense, medical devices, smart phones, clean energy and more, and the Biden administration has spurred the industry’s onshoring with billions in incentives. But the industry is a prolific polluter and a major source of unregulated and unmonitored PFAS, creating tension with Biden’s sweeping plan to rein in PFAS pollution.   The Biden administration has acknowledged the PFAS waste problem, but still claims the process is “closed loop”.   “There is no closed system for PFAS,” Belliveau said.    It’s also unclear exactly how the EPA is weighing chemicals’ risks. The agency generally relies on industry science, and in other situations in which it has fast-tracked approval of new chemicals, it uses standardized formulas to assess health and environmental risks that seem “designed to get them to say ‘yes’,” said Tosh Sagar, an attorney with Earthjustice, which litigates on PFAS issues.   If there is health and safety data on the new chemicals, it was developed by industry and largely is legally hidden from the public under confidential business information claims.   “It’s innocent until proven guilty and that’s a fundamental problem,” said Lenny Siegel, with Chips Communities United, a group working with industry and the administration to improve environmental safeguards.'    SNAP Comment: While not pesticide use, it add to knowledge of the PFA problem.

‘Forever chemical’ found in mineral water from several European countries   Contamination thought to stem from the heavy application of pesticides containing TFA (Trifluoroacetic acid), a type of PFAS (The Guardian, 12 December 20224)       Mineral water from several European nations has been found for the first time to be contaminated with TFA, a type of PFAS “forever chemical” that is a reproductive toxicant accumulating at alarming levels across the globe.     Aside from use in pesticides, TFA is a common refrigerant that was intended to be a safe replacement for older greenhouse gases like CFCs, and it is often used in clean energy production. But recent research has also established it as a potent greenhouse gas that can remain in the atmosphere for 1,000 years. About 60% of all PFAS manufactured from 2019 to 2022 were fluorinated gas that turns into TFA.   It is an especially difficult chemical due to its high mobility and longevity in the environment. Meanwhile, filtration technology effective at removing other PFAS from water cannot can’t address TFA on an industrial scale.       Still, industry is ramping up its use of TFA, or chemicals that turn into it once in the environment...    In pesticides, TFA is likely used as a stabilizer or to otherwise improve efficacy – around 40% of all active ingredients added to pesticides in the US are PFAS.       ,...the ( US) Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA) recently excluded TFA from classification as a PFAS, which subjects it to less scrutiny. Public health groups have said the EPA faces pressure because TFA is a significant moneymaker for chemical producers.    SNAP Comment:   Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Government of Canads, 2024-07-26)  does not mention pesticides as a source of PFAs. from google:  Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA) is not explicitly listed as a regulated substance in Canada, it is considered a "breakdown product" of other regulated chemicals under the Montreal Protocol, meaning its presence in the environment is monitored by Health Canada, particularly as a potential contaminant from the breakdown of certain fluorinated chemicals used in pesticides and other products; however, specific regulations regarding TFA itself are not currently in place.

Health, workers' and environmental groups welcome cancellation of fluorinated pesticide (Prevent Cancer Now, December 2024)     Flufenacet—a herbicide that releases persistent, toxic TFA—is being phased out.  On October 30, Norwegian scientists published that TFA poses a global threat as it is omnipresent, and rapidly, irreversibly accumulating in water. Pesticides containing TFA are increasingly being developed and marketed to farmers in Canada. TFA and other persistent chemicals, are found in drinking water, foods, and the human body. These fluorine-containing chemicals have been linked to a range of adverse outcomes including cancers, liver damage, and low infant birth weight.     In 2021, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) re-evaluated flufenacet and proposed to cancel its registration due to unacceptable risks to human health. Despite mounting pressure from industry to back down, the final re-evaluation decision, issued last Friday, confirmed cancellation of all products containing flufenacet.    Meg Sears, Chair, Prevent Cancer Now stated: “Let’s applaud one hazardous pesticide being phased out over three years, but also recognize that this is a drop in the bucket."

Our (Europe) drinking water is in danger: widespread contamination with TFA   (Pan Europe, October 16, 2024)   ‘Our drinking water is in danger. Everywhere in Europe, TFA is found in surface and drinking water. In a recent report, the German Environment Agency (UBA) reiterates its warning of the TFA problem.   This small PFAS is a breakdown product of many PFAS pesticides and also some F-gases used for refrigeration. Over 20 years ago, the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA and EU Member States declared it a ‘non-relevant metabolite’, fed by industry claims that because of its high water solubility, it will not accumulate in the human body.    However, 20 years after this assumption, we face a major problem. TFA is everywhere in our water resources. It is highly soluble and mobile, it is very persistent in the environment, with growing evidence pointing to its toxicity. German authorities now consider it as a probable reprotoxic’ (may produce or increase the incidence of non-heritable adverse effects in the progeny and/or an impairment of male or female reproductive functions or capacity)  substance.   Germany is one of the only countries monitoring it. It was found in at 76 per cent of the monitoring sites for groundwater.     ‘TFA contamination is a huge and increasing problem. Since there are no effective means to remove it from drinking water, there is only one viable solution: An immediate ban on all PFAS pesticides and other substances that break down into TFA.’    SNAP Comment: 'Samples from the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean exhibited variable TFA concentrations (60-160 ng/L) down to 700 m. Below this depth, in water having 14C ages exceeding 1000 years, the TFA concentrations were constant (150 ng/L).'  I suspect we will find it in other Canadian waters if we test for it…

Some condom and lubricant brands contain alarming levels of PFAS – study  Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to low birth weight, reduced sperm counts and infertility (The Guardian, 28 July 2024)     Last month, scientists discovered human skin absorbs "forever chemicals" like PFAS more than previously thought. Now, popular brands of condoms and lubricants like Trojan and K-Y Jelly have been found to contain "alarming levels" of PFAS. The former head of the EPA's toxicology program says because “condoms are an exposure to the most sensitive areas on the human body for both men and women, I would strongly recommend the industry identify and remove these chemicals immediately.”  SNAP Comment: not in pesticides but worrisome.

filed under Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs

'Forever Chemical' PFAS Drinking Water Rules Issued, Urgency to Shift from Petrochemicals Pesticides    (Beyond Pesticides, April 17, 2024) With headlines drawing public attention to the contamination of drinking water after years of federal government neglect, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 10 new standards to reduce public exposure to PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their persistence. EPA has finalized a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, which EPA has recognized have no safe level of exposure, regulating new chemicals for the first time since the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).   SNAP Comment: Only for 6 PFAs out of the 15,000 on the market.

Industry Stops PFAS Restrictions, Reverses EPA in Court, as Plastic Leaches Contaminants   (Beyond Pesticides, April 9, 2024) The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in an opinion authored by Circuit Judge Cory T. Wilson, has vacated an action by the U.S. Environmental Protection  Agency (EPA) that had ordered the Texas-based manufacturer Inhance Technologies, L.L.C. to stop producing plastic containers that leach toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into pesticides, household cleaners, condiments, and additional products. EPA has taken action after the agency determined that the PFAS created during the fluorination process “are highly toxic and present unreasonable risks that cannot be prevented other than through prohibition of manufacture.” While the court is not challenging EPA’s authority to determine the hazards associated with PFAS exposure to be unacceptable, on a technicality, it is finding that the agency used the wrong section of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Section 5, which the court says is focused on new uses.

filed uder Polyfluorinated pesticides and PFAs

New herbicide for weed control in wheat registered    (By Farmtario Staff, January 25, 2024)   'The company said in a release Batalium combats weed-related losses across all soil zones. Its formulation features four powerful active ingredients from three modes of action, providing an easy-to-use tool for optimal results.'  

Batalium info: The following is provided by Meg Sears of Prevent Cancer Now: 'Batalium is a newly approved herbicide (tech sheet here), that is a mixture of three old herbicides, Flucarbazone-sodium – Group 2, Fluroxypyr – Group 4, and Bromoxynil – Group 6.Batalium is "Compatible with over 23 registered tank-mix partners, BATALIUM AMPED herbicide lets you customize your weed management program based on weed pressure and application conditions."   Acutely toxic, Health hazard, and Environmental hazard, Irritant   These three herbicides include the -C-F3 group that will break off and affect the ozone layer, as well as halogenated ring structures that typify endocrine disruptors.'

A brand new “Frankenstein” herbicide – Tiafenacil (Prevent Cancer Now) scroll down the page.     

A brand new “Frankenstein” herbicide – Tiafenacil    (Prevent Cancer Now) scroll down the page.   Tiafenacil is a new herbicide, that inhibits a key enzyme to make chlorophyll.  Tiafenacil features several biologically-active, toxic groups, that are combined in a large molecule—a bit like a “Frankenstein” chemical.    This degrades into smaller molecules of toxic chemicals. For example, the top group with three fluorine atoms separates to form highly persistent trifluoroacetic acid. The PMRA found that young children would exceed the maximum allowable daily intake, then stated that is deemed to be acceptable because the assessment is “conservative.” This is hard to understand, given that the extrapolation (a.k.a. “safety”) factor for sensitive populations was eliminated, and there is no human data on this brand new pesticide. SNAP Comment: As of 23 January 2024, 4 tiafenacil herbicides are registered by the PMRA for use in a variety of crops.

P.E.I. potato growers have new pesticide to fight wireworm (Broflanilide)
Potato board estimates cost of wireworm damage to crops at $5 million a year  (Nancy Russell ,CBC, Posted: Mar 04, 2021)   Chemical Formula: C25H14BrF11N2O2.  Chemical name: 3-(benzoylmethylamino)-N-2-bromo-4-1,2,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl-2-fluorobenzamide.   This product contains several trifluoromethyl groups that will likely contribute to ozone depletion.  SNAP COMMENT: perhaps it is different in large scale plantings, but in my organic garden, the only potatoes that ever get wireworm damage are the ones planted near the outside grass. When I edge in spring, I used to throw the grass rhizomes on top of the soil to dry up, until I found sereval wireworms seemingly living in there so now rhizomes are thrown on the grass and I have very little problems. Also PEI has an imported wireworm that may behave differently. 

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pesticide and Other Packaging (US EPA, updated 5 December 2023) This page describes EPA actions at all levels for these chemicals. 'In December 2022, the Agency issued a notice announcing the removal of 12 chemicals identified as PFAS from the current list of inert ingredients approved for use in nonfood pesticide products to better protect human health and the environment. These chemicals are no longer used in any registered pesticide product.'

EPA confirms PFAS can leach from shipping containers into food, other products   (By Shannon Kelleher, The New Lede, 12 September 2022)    Toxic chemicals knowns as PFAS leach from the walls of shipping containers into the products they contain, potentially contaminating food, pesticides, and other products transported all over the world, according to study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA analysis found that 8 types of PFAS compounds leached into water and methanol samples stored in fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers after just one day. The EPA said the analysis provided “a clear indication” of the migration of PFAS from container walls to the liquid solutions in the container.  The agency said the amount of PFAS leached into the solutions generally increased with time during the agency’s 20-week testing period.The levels of contamination the EPA found were far higher than the updated drinking water health advisory level of about 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) that EPA recently set for PFOA, one of the PFAS chemicals identified in the barrels. 'SNAP Comments: Canadian Water guidelines for PFAs (June 2019)  'Treatment options for PFAS: PFAS can be removed by treating well water: using either an activated carbon filter installed at the tap or where the water enters the house; or using a reverse osmosis system installed at the drinking water tap. Reverse osmosis systems should only be installed at the tap, as the treated water may cause corrosion to the plumbing and cause other contaminants, like heavy metals, to leach into the water.'