PFAS describe a class of thousands of fluorinated chemical substances. Fluorinated products are used in a variety of industries including automotive, electronics and medicine due to their strength, durability, and stability. Fluorinated substances have vastly different chemical properties and environmental profiles, making a one-size-fits-all approach to regulation impractical and inaccurate.

Newer applications of fluorinated chemistry have beneficial properties that increase their durability and resistance to heat, water, and oil. Those unique properties help improve products like cars, electronics, and medicines. In some Environmental Protection Agency-approved pesticides, fluorinated chemistry can help improve adherence and provide better pest protection.

All pesticides registered for use in the U.S., including those with fluorinated chemistry, are extensively reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and approved for use according to the product label. The EPA’s risk assessment process determines if pesticides will pose unreasonable adverse effects to human health or the environment. As part of the risk assessment, EPA completes a rigorous scientific review of the studies conducted by third-party laboratories, and the agency has broad authority to request new data from manufacturers at any time during the lifecycle of a registered pesticide.

The U.S. food supply is among the safest in the world largely thanks to a robust regulatory system. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proactively monitored certain varieties of PFAS in the food supply through national studies, including the Total Diet Study. According to the FDA, “no PFAS have been detected in over 97% (701 out of 718 samples) of the fresh and processed foods tested from the Total Diet Study.” FDA’s testing focused on long-carbon-chain PFAS—the PFAS identified in some studies to have negative human health effects. Those types of PFAS are not used in pesticides. 

State lawmakers must consider the extensive science and everyday uses of pesticides and PFAS to Maine’s agriculture industry, communities, and our health. 

Pesticides should be exempted from additional PFAS regulation because the existing federal regulations and EPA risk assessment, in conjunction with state regulations, already rigorously regulate all pesticides, including those with fluorinated chemistry. Additional regulation would be redundant, costly, and yield no additional safety benefits.