The Trump administration is preparing to authorise another 'forever chemical' for use in pesticides, marking the fifth such substance proposed for approval this year, a move that has sparked significant concern among public health advocates.
Growing Threat to Food and Water
The proposed chemical, known as Epyrifenacil, would be sprayed directly on staple crops including corn, soybeans and wheat. This development comes despite campaign promises from both Donald Trump and his health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, to restrict dangerous pesticide use.
The Environmental Protection Agency's pesticide division continues to operate at full capacity despite ongoing government shutdowns that have affected other critical services, including cuts to the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Science Behind the Danger
PFAS represents a class of approximately 16,000 synthetic compounds linked to serious health conditions including cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol and kidney disease. They're called 'forever chemicals' because they don't break down naturally in the environment.
Nathan Donley, science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed concern about the timing: "Yet somehow the pesticides office is operating at full force. That shows you where the priorities are."
Recent analysis reveals alarming statistics about PFAS prevalence in pesticides. At least 60% of active ingredients approved for common pesticides over the last decade meet the most widely accepted definition of PFAS, with about 40% of all ingredients falling into this category.
Regulatory Controversy and Industry Influence
The situation highlights tensions within the administration, particularly between the Make America Great Again and Make America Healthy Again movements. Kelly Ryerson, a Maha leader and regenerative farming advocate, noted the frustration many feel watching these approvals proceed.
"I'm a big supporter of Kennedy and the Maha movement, but the realistic view is he wasn't appointed the head of the EPA," Ryerson said, highlighting the limited influence of health advocates in an administration where the top four positions in the EPA's chemical safety office are held by former pesticide and chemical industry lobbyists.
The EPA has established an unusually narrow definition of what constitutes a PFAS, excluding compounds like Tfa that most international governments and scientists consider forever chemicals. This definitional change matches industry claims about Tfa's safety, though recent research suggests it's more dangerous than previously thought.
Four of the five pesticides proposed for approval this year contain active ingredients that break down into Tfa, a compound that persists in the environment for thousands of years and cannot be filtered out using most water purification methods.
Researchers have detected growing levels of Tfa in air, water, human blood and throughout the environment. Recent studies found higher concentrations in water near where Tfa pesticides were applied and in non-organic food, indicating crops absorb the chemical.
Donley emphasised the long-term consequences: "For my grandchildren's grandchildren – that's what we're talking about here." The Tfa approved today will remain in the environment for generations to come.
Ryerson issued a warning to elected officials supporting the pesticide industry: "People are very aware of what's making them sick in terms of pesticides. Congress needs to get on board, or they legitimately will not win, especially with the younger generation calling them out now."
