PFAS in our pesticides?
PFAS—which refers to the broad class of fluorinated “forever chemicals” that The Counter discovered in compostable takeout bowls in 2019—have a variety of industrial applications, even as concerns about their health impacts grow. Now, Roll Call reports, the Environmental Protection Agency made a troubling disclosure: A toxic form of PFAS was being used in the linings of pesticide storage containers, a finding with potentially vast environmental implications. Because the PFAS leached from the linings into the pesticide, it, too, was sprayed into the air in large quantities as part of ongoing treatments meant to control mosquito-borne diseases. The discovery has “opened a Pandora’s Box of health risks,” according to one expert. Yeah, we just lost our lunch.
