Farmers can potentially use pesticides in many ways, including killing agricultural crop pests such as potatoes, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale, and citrus fruits.
However, many experts and environmental advocates have sharply criticized the decision because, they say, isocycloseram contains harmful PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they can never break down naturally in the environment.
The EPA’s decision sparked controversy
The EPA responded by asserting that isocycloseram is not, in fact, a PFAS. The federal government defines PFAS as chemicals containing two or more fluorinated carbons; Isocycloseram is a monofluorinated carbon, a chemical that, according to the EPA, “does not have the persistence and bioaccumulation properties that are commonly associated with forever chemicals.”
Isocycloseram is “very different” from traditional PFAS because it breaks down to some extent in the environment, says P. Lee Ferguson, PhD, an environmental analytical chemist and professor at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who is not affiliated with the EPA.
But he says the chemical still needs to be studied in more detail to fully understand its effects on health and the environment.
Any potential risk would depend on several factors, including how much and how quickly the isocycloseram breaks down, factors we don’t yet know, notes Dr. Ferguson.
EPA Safety Assessment: What They Tested
- Comprehensive toxicity studies across multiple species and life stages
- Specific assessment of safety and effects on children’s development
- Assessment of impacts on reproductive and chronic health
- Analysis of fate and exposure in the environment
None of the experts interviewed for this story knew what these tests entailed and declined to comment on their results or validity.
Should we be worried about new pesticides?
Debra Cherry, MD, associate professor of environmental medicine at the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, says she has no immediate concerns about eating fresh produce treated with the new pesticides.
“I am concerned, however, about the adverse effects on pollinators like bees, on the ecosystem, and on vulnerable populations like infants who will consume contaminated water in the future,” says Dr. Cherry.
It can be difficult to completely avoid PFAS because they come from a variety of sources, Cherry notes. She recommends rinse products before eating them to potentially reduce exposure to PFAS pesticides.
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