Toxic harvest: the rise of “eternal pesticides” in fruit and vegetables in Europe
- PFAS or “forever chemicals” are sprayed on crops in the form of pesticides, making fresh fruits and vegetables a route of direct exposure with serious consequences for health and nature.
- The report “Toxic Harvest”, published by the European Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe) and Ecologistas en Acción, reveals that food on sale in the EU is contaminated by PFAS pesticides.
- In 2021, 75 % of Spanish strawberries had residues of these toxins.
- This contamination has increased in the last 10 years, by 148 % in the case of vegetables and 80 % in the case of fruit.
Although still almost unknown in Spain, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” due to their exceptional persistence, are among the greatest current chemical risks for humans and the environment.
These molecules, created to waterproof all types of surfaces of kitchen utensils, mountain clothing or packaging, have the characteristic of their enormous persistence, which means that once released they remain forever in the human body and nature. Hence, all European policymakers have PFAS in their blood, as a recent study by Ecologists in Action showed, or European water resources and soils are contaminated.
PFAS can cause serious damage to health and nature, such as the appearance of cancer or childhood development problems. Many show adverse effects, even at low concentrations, on the liver, immune system and endocrine system, which is why some have already been restricted in the EU. However, there are many others left on the market, the result of what is known as “regrettable substitution” by their manufacturers.
On the other hand, the persistence and toxicity for human health of the most detected PFAS pesticides are well documented. This includes risks to fetuses, brain damage, endocrine system disruption, and cancer. For all of the above, the solution that the EU has proposed is the restriction of all PFAS.
The report “Toxic harvest: the rise of perennial pesticides in fruits and vegetables in Europe”, published by PAN Europe and Ecologistas en Acción, shows that agriculture contributes to PFAS contamination. Such chemicals have been deliberately introduced by the industry into pesticide products, adding fluorine atoms to the product to increase its effectiveness.
In some cases, PFAS are byproducts of decomposition, such as the water contaminant trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Of course, farmers are usually not aware that they are spraying their crops with “eternal pesticides” that can harm their health.
The main conclusions of the study, for Spain, are the following:
— Between 2011 and 2021, residues of 18 different PFAS pesticides were detected in fruits and vegetables for sale in Spain.
— In 2021, fruits and vegetables grown in Spain were contaminated, especially strawberries (75 %), grapes (64 %) and apricots (49 %) or spinach (42 %).
— Spain, along with the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal and Greece, is one of the main producers of food contaminated with PFAS within the EU.
— Regarding imports, in 2021 the countries of origin of fruits and vegetables with the highest presence of PFAS were South Africa (PFAS in 23 % of the samples) and Morocco (in 17 %).
Kistiñe García, head of Toxics at Ecologistas en Acción, stated: “We are concerned about the increase in the amount of PFAS pesticide residues present in food in the last 10 years. In the EU it has tripled and in Spain it has increased by 148 % in the case of vegetables and 80 % in that of fruits. Eliminating the use of this type of pesticide could be an excellent differentiation of Spanish crops, since imported products are also contaminated, such as 18 % in bananas or 27 % in peppers.”
According to Koldo Hernández, Water coordinator at Ecologistas en Acción, “of the first official PFAS restriction list, which included 47 active substances, 37 (12 % of the synthetic active substances approved in the EU) are still authorized in pesticides, which causes its deliberate spread through European agricultural fields and direct contamination of waters and the environment.”
And he added: “The cause of this broad exposure is that regulatory bodies have proposed exempting PFAS active substances from the universal restriction, assuming that they are regulated by the current Pesticides Law. “Our research reveals the opposite: PFAS slip through the cracks of the legal system.”
Angeliki Lysimachou, Head of Science and Policy at PAN Europe, highlighted that “the approval of PFAS pesticides, often applied in mixtures, has deficiencies. By simply considering persistence as a cut-off criterion in the approval process for synthetic pesticides, these PFAS substances will quickly be banned.” Furthermore, he concluded: “PFAS pesticides are not necessary for cultivation.
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