In the EU, a total of 37 active substances used as pesticides on food crops are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals” due to their inability to break down in the environment or the human body. PFAS have been an issue of increasing concern in recent years, as the body of scientific evidence pointing to the chemicals’ human health harms mounts.
A recent analysis of official EU pesticide monitoring data has revealed that the average proportion of produce containing PFAS pesticide residues has nearly tripled over the last decade. The analysis was conducted by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, which is a science-based organization working to eliminate dependency on synthetic pesticides. PAN Europe comprises 48 member organizations from 28 European countries.