What you need to know about ‘forever chemicals’

Although ag media had been reporting about the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in agriculture for several years, it was not until Natasha Zouves with NewsNation did a series of reports about these “forever chemicals” that mainstream media outlets took notice. In recent months, many, if not all, mainstream channels have jumped on the bandwagon.

There had been regional news coverage of legal action and increased scrutiny of a couple of the biggest industry offenders beginning in the 2000s. But not until the 2020s have we seen a greater focus and federal regulations established. It took decades of independent research to build a clear case that many PFAS are harmful.

PFAS are a large class of thousands of manufactured chemical compounds used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. There are thousands of unique PFAS chemicals. They are called “forever chemicals” because they break down very slowly and accumulate and persist in the environment.

Most of us have been exposed to some PFAS by touching, drinking, eating, or breathing in materials containing PFAS. PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world.

The Environmental Protection Agency and individual states are leading the regulatory response to PFAS, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture coordinating actions and assistance based on EPA findings and guidance. EPA tells us there is evidence that exposure to certain PFAS chemicals, even at extremely low levels, can lead to a wide variety of health risks.

PFAS may be found in many everyday items because of their water- and stain-resistant properties. Items such as stain-resistant carpets and furniture, some cosmetics, non-stick cookware and food packaging such as grease-resistant wrappers or microwave popcorn bags may contain PFAS.

Firefighting foam, or aqueous film forming foam, called AFFF, used at airports, military bases and training sites is one source of PFAS contamination.

Air, water, or soil amendments contaminated with PFAS can infiltrate farmland. Contaminated biosolids spread on the land as fertilizer or irrigation water from a contaminated source have been identified as the cause of “forever chemical” adulteration on some farms.

Once the PFAS are in the air, water, or soil on a farm, they can be absorbed by crops grown there and by livestock grazing or eating grain or forage from contaminated fields.

Although PFAS have been found in some crop protection products, their presence is not always intentional. In some cases, PFAS are introduced during manufacturing or packaging.

Unintended PFAS formation can happen when a plastic container undergoes a specific process that makes it more resistant to chemicals. The PFAS can then leach into the contents of the container.

The percentage of U.S. farmland — or U.S. land in general — contaminated by “forever chemicals” is a bit unclear at this time, but it is not inconsequential. Misinformation about PFAS is even more pervasive than PFAS contamination.

Stay informed. Organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation have voiced concern that farmers could be unfairly targeted, even though they do not create or use PFAS on their farms, but could have passively received the chemicals.

Farmers and ranchers — any landowners, for that matter — should not be held responsible for a chemical they did not use.