Herbicide containing FOREVER CHEMICAL set for approval despite worsening food and water contamination

• The EPA is approving a new PFAS herbicide for food crops, specifically epyrifenacil for use on canola, corn, soybeans and wheat, which breaks down into a widespread “forever chemical” known as TFA.
• PFAS contamination is already a severe crisis, with over 200 million Americans potentially having PFAS in their drinking water and freshwater fish being highly contaminated, posing significant health risks to consumers.
• Exposure to PFAS is linked to serious health problems, including various cancers, reduced fertility, pregnancy complications, immune system suppression and liver damage, with the chemicals accumulating in the body over a lifetime.
• Regulation is lagging behind the problem, as there is no national drinking water standard for PFAS and industrial pollution continues largely unchecked from an estimated 40,000 potential polluters.
• Critics point to industry influence on regulation, noting that the EPA office approving these pesticides is reportedly controlled by former chemical industry lobbyists, raising concerns about the prioritization of public health.

In a move that has alarmed public health advocates, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is poised to approve a new herbicide containing “forever chemicals” for use on major food crops, marking the fifth such approval in a single year.

The latest chemical up for approval, epyrifenacil, is slated to be sprayed directly on canola, corn, soybeans and wheat. Like other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), its chemical bonds never degrade, allowing them to accumulate indefinitely in water, soil and the human body.

What makes epyrifenacil particularly concerning is that it breaks down into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a smaller forever chemical now considered one of the most widespread PFAS water contaminants globally. According to BrightU.AI‘s Enoch, TFA is a highly persistent chemical that does not break down in the environment and is a byproduct from various industrial processes. It is now being found in common foods, including cereals and breads, due to its ability to spread and accumulate in the food chain.

The decision comes amid a growing body of research revealing the staggering, irreversible contamination of the environment and food supply by these persistent toxic compounds. Scientists warn that the proliferation of such chemicals may represent a “planetary boundary threat,” meaning the damage to human health could become irreversible. The approval would allow epyrifenacil to be combined with another PFAS herbicide, virtually guaranteeing environmental pollution will contain mixtures of different forever chemicals, the synergistic effects of which remain largely unstudied.

This regulatory push occurs against a backdrop of a severe and widespread PFAS contamination crisis. A recent peer-reviewed study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicates that more than 200 million Americans could have PFAS in their drinking water. The problem is particularly acute for those who consume freshwater fish.

The EWG study revealed that consuming just a single serving of freshwater fish annually can be as harmful as drinking water laced with high levels of PFOS, a type of PFAS, for an entire month. The median levels of PFAS in freshwater fish were an astounding 280 times greater than those found in commercially sold fish from grocery stores. PFOS, or perfluorooctane sulfonate, is a human-made chemical that is a major global pollutant. It belongs to a larger family of chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

The shocking truth about America’s contaminated fish

“People who consume freshwater fish, especially those who catch and eat them regularly, are at risk of alarming levels of PFAS in their bodies,” said David Andrews, Ph.D., an EWG senior scientist. “Growing up, I went fishing every week and ate those fish. But now when I see fish, all I think about is PFAS contamination.”

The health implications are profound. Scientific literature links PFAS exposure to a host of serious problems, including kidney, testicular and thyroid cancers, reduced fertility, pregnancy complications, immune system suppression and liver damage. These chemicals build up in the body over a lifetime and are found in the blood of virtually everyone, including newborn babies.

“The extent that PFAS has contaminated fish is staggering,” said Nadia Barbo, a graduate student at Duke University and lead researcher on the EWG project. “There should be a single health-protective fish consumption advisory for freshwater fish across the country.”

Despite the urgency, there is no national drinking water standard for PFAS and efforts to set one could take years. Meanwhile, industrial pollution continues largely unchecked. EWG estimates there may be more than 40,000 industrial PFAS polluters in the United States.

“We must turn off the tap of PFAS pollution from industrial discharges, which affect more and more Americans every day,” said Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs. Critics point to the influence of the chemical industry within the regulatory process. The EPA office approving these pesticides is reportedly controlled by former chemical industry lobbyists, raising questions about the agency’s ability to prioritize public health.

For Americans concerned about exposure, experts recommend using reverse osmosis or certified activated carbon filters for drinking water, choosing organic versions of the crops now being sprayed with PFAS pesticides and reducing consumption of freshwater fish from contaminated waters. As the regulatory landscape lags, individuals are left to navigate the escalating crisis of forever chemicals on their own.

Watch this video about forever chemicals being detected in water systems of nearly 2,800 U.S. cities.

This video is from the Truth or Consequences channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

NaturalHealth365.com

ChildrenHealthDefense.org

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com