California to Track PFAS in Pesticides Under New Law

California will begin tracking pesticides that contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, after Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation this week requiring the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation to identify such products in its public reporting.

The law directs the department to indicate whether agricultural pesticides contain PFAS when it publishes use data, and to monitor statewide trends in the application of those chemicals. California is the largest producer of agricultural products in the United States, accounting for nearly half of the country's vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts.

PFAS, often called "forever chemicals" because they persist in the environment, are used in a range of goods including water-repellent clothing, firefighting foam and grease-, water- and oil-resistant products such as non-stick cookware. Research has linked exposure to harmful health effects including cancer, high cholesterol and immune system impacts, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Environmental advocates say the new data could lay the groundwork for tighter rules. Monica Amarelo, vice president of media relations at the Environmental Working Group, which backed the measure, said the state would now be able to examine what is being used, where it is applied and how to move forward in phasing it out.

An earlier draft of the bill, sponsored by Burbank Democrat Nick Schultz, would have barred state regulators from approving new pesticides containing PFAS. That version drew broad opposition from farm groups and was narrowed to the tracking requirements that became law.

Schultz described the measure as a vital first step, saying tracking and monitoring are essential. "You can't fix what you can't see," he said.