On May 30, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it had taken additional steps in addressing concerns that per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been found in pesticide products. As part of its ongoing efforts, EPA has completed its verification analysis of a study published in September 2022 in the Journal of Hazardous Materials entitled “Targeted Analysis and Total Oxidizable Precursor Assay of several Insecticides for PFAS.” This study reported the presence of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in six of the ten pesticide products tested. EPA released a summary of the laboratory analysis of the same ten pesticide products reported to contain PFAS residues. EPA states it found no PFAS in the tested pesticide products, differing from the published study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. In addition to summarizing its findings, EPA is releasing its newly developed and validated analytical methodology used in the testing process. In its press release, EPA states it is “confident in the results of this newly released method, which is specifically targeted to detect the presence of PFAS in pesticide products formulated with surfactants.”
Article By: Lynn L. Bergeson