PFAS pesticides contaminate nearly 40% of non-organic California produce

‘Forever chemicals’ contaminate nearly 40% of non-organic California-grown produce | Environmental Working Group Skip to main content ‘Forever chemicals’ contaminate nearly 40% of non-organic California-grown produce New analysis finds PFAS pesticides on peaches, strawberries and other popular fruits Overview 37% of non-organic, or conventionally grown, California produce samples had residues of pesticides that are “forever chemicals” known as PFAS A total of 17 different PFAS pesticide residues were found on 40 produce types, including peaches, plums, strawberries and grapes California farmers apply 2.5 million pounds of PFAS pesticides in 58 counties annually, on average, raising additional concerns about soil and water contamination California is renowned for producing more than half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, and they’re often contaminated with residues from dozens of synthetic pesticides. Some of those pesticides are “ forever chemicals ” known as PFAS, a new EWG analysis finds. Out of 930 samples of 78 types of non-organic, California-grown fruits and vegetables tested, 348 samples, or 37%, had traces of PFAS pesticides, based on state testing data EWG reviewed. Within those 78 produce categories, 40 individual types of fruits and vegetables, or 51% of the different categories, had some residue of PFAS pesticides, the analysis finds. California Department of Pesticide Regulation testing of fruits and vegetables Image Certain non-organic, or conventionally grown, produce from California stands out in the data for its especially high levels of contamination. More than 90% of nectarines, plums and peaches sampled carried a single PFAS pesticide, the fungicide fludioxonil. Cherries, strawberries and grapes had 80% or more samples contaminated with PFAS pesticides, but it was more common than not to find 4 or more different PFAS pesticides on the individual pieces of fruit. For example, strawberries – long associated with heavy pesticide use – had residues of 10 individual PFAS pesticides. Grapes and strawberries are among the most valuable and high production crops in California, with cash receipts totaling $6.5 and $3 billion in 2023. The widespread presence of PFAS pesticides highlights a concerning and largely unaddressed gap in pesticide oversight. PFAS are known to persist in the environment, and some pose serious health risks to people, including links to immune, reproductive and developmental harm. Many PFAS are already notorious for contaminating drinking water for millions of Americans, an issue drawing increased scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers. The PFAS pesticide residues on California produce are a sober reminder of the continued identification and presence of PFAS in our environment, and suggest a need to reconsider use of the pesticides. The findings justify far more rigorous scientific review of PFAS pesticides’ toxicity by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the questions about PFAS pesticides, EWG doesn’t suggest people cut back on their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Produce is important to a healthy diet. Tips like washing produce before eating, consulting EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, and buying certified organic – which prohibits the use of PFAS pesticides – may help lower exposure. What are PFAS pesticides? PFAS, or per- and polyfluoralkyl substances, are a group of thousands of chemicals used in consumer products, pharmaceuticals and electronics, as well as pesticides. Some PFAS have been found to be highly toxic, even at low doses, and linked to adverse health effects like immune suppression , cancer , and reproductive and developmental toxicity . Forever chemicals are highly persistent in the environment because they share the structural characteristic of a carbon-fluorine bond. Some PFAS can also build up in the body. PFAS pesticides are active ingredients – chemicals that kill pests like insects and mold – that meet the internationally recognized definition of PFAS based on their chemical structures. Trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA, is a breakdown product of many PFAS, including some PFAS pesticides. One recent study based on 2018 data estimated 185,000 to 616,000 pounds of TFA could form from the PFAS pesticides used in California. TFA’s presence in the environment and people is on the rise , while toxicity concerns, including reproductive toxicity and immunotoxicity , are emerging. PFAS pesticides in California In the U.S., nearly 70 pesticides that are PFAS are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, accounting for roughly 14% of all active pesticide ingredients . Between 2018 and 2023, 52 of those were used in California, according to the state’s pesticide use reporting law. Though two of those are no longer registered, California now has 53 PFAS pesticides registered for use. Roughly 2.5 million pounds of PFAS pesticides are applied annually on California cropland, EWG previously found . In 2023 alone, 785 different PFAS pesticide products were applied in the state. While herbicides are the most heavily used PFAS pesticides in the state, insecticides and fungicides are the types of PFAS pesticides routinely detected in produce. The 53 PFAS pesticides registered in California represent 5% of all state-registered active pesticide ingredients. But they account for 15% of the pesticide residues detected on produce grown in the state. Out of the 53 PFAS pesticides, 17 were found on conventional fruit and vegetable samples. To conduct the analysis, EWG scientists examined pesticide residue data collected by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation in 2023, the most recent year for which the data was available. The findings add a troubling new dimension to concerns about exposure from pesticides in food. The fungicide fludioxonil was the most frequently detected PFAS pesticide, found on many crops and samples, in higher concentrations relative to other pesticide levels. Fludioxonil, among the top 10 PFAS pesticides used in the state by pounds, is a post-harvest fungicide. It’s applied after fruits like peaches have been picked and helps prevent mold growth when the fruits are stored and transported. Other prominent pesticides detected on California-grown produce include fluopyram, penthiopyrad, lambda-cyhalothrin and flonicamid. 17 PFAS pesticides found on 37% of California-grown conventional produce Image Source: California Department of Pesticide Regulation; 2023 California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report Note: Only 34 produce types with at least five samples are shown. Only samples reported as grown in California were included in the analysis. Number of Pesticides denotes number detected in over 5% of samples. https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/report/2023-california-pesticide-residue-monitoring-program-report/ Many of the fruits and vegetables that had PFAS pesticide detections – such as nectarines, peaches, cherries, spinach, grapes and strawberries – routinely end up on the Dirty Dozen™, the list of fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues in EWG’s annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™. Other key findings: Stone fruits. Peaches, nectarines and plums showed the highest contamination rates, with nine out of 10 samples testing positive for PFAS pesticides Strawberries. Contained 10 individual PFAS pesticides, more variety than any other crop Grapes and cherries. Showed lower individual PFAS pesticide detection rates but are contaminated with several PFAS pesticides Other affected crops include spinach, blueberries, lettuce, lemons and other popular produce items Several types of produce had no detectable amounts of PFAS pesticides. These include sweet potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn, avocados, and summer and winter squash. These types of produce may also carry other pesticide residues, but avocados, sweet corn, cauliflower, watermelon and mushrooms are routinely part of EWG’s Clean Fifteen ™, the list of produce types with the lowest amount of pesticides of any kind in the Shopper’s Guide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also collects and tests produce from around the country for pesticide residues. Although the USDA collects more samples of each produce type and covers more regions than California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation program, not every type of produce is tested each year, and the process includes washing and peeling before testing, which can reduce residue amounts. Nectarines grown in California, and collected by the USDA for pesticide residue testing between 2013 and 2015 detected fludioxonil on nearly 95% of samples. The test results resemble California’s data in EWG’s analysis. California-grown conventional strawberries collected by USDA from 2014 to 2016 had detectable levels of six individual PFAS pesticides. Health and environmental concerns While PFAS pesticides have varying structures, contributing to differences in their toxicity and risks to human health, wildlife and plants, as well as their ability to contaminate soil and water, certain aspects about well-studied PFAS prompt concerns about the chemicals as a class. Some of these concerns include their impact on the immune system and ability to harm development and reproduction, as well as their environmental persistence. That’s why PFAS pesticides require more scrutiny from state and federal regulators. Pesticides have more toxicity data required for approval than industrial chemicals. But the data are still lacking in several ways. For instance, immunotoxicity studies are generally waived in pesticide applications, yet PFAS may be particularly toxic to the immune system. Recent EPA analysis noted that several pesticides, including 36 PFAS pesticides, 25 of which are actively registered in California, do not have updated developmental and reproductive toxicity tests. This limits regulators’ ability to assess the chemicals’ potential harms to the endocrine and reproductive systems. Some PFAS pesticides have been linked to health harms or are understudied for their risks to humans. The European Food Safety Authority considers fludioxonil an endocrine-disrupting chemical that causes harm to the male and female reproductive system in rats. Some PFAS pesticides, like bifenthrin and cyhalothrin, belong to the chemical class known as pyrethroids, which have been associated with harm to the developing nervous system . Of the 53 PFAS pesticides approved for use in California, the European Union doesn’t allow 23. Four of the PFAS pesticides banned in Europe are are found on California-grown conventional produce. Five of the California pesticides approved for use in California aren’t listed as either approved or banned by the EU . Steps to reduce exposure Despite potential risks associated with dietary PFAS and pesticide exposure, it is still important to maintain a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for overall health. Make sure to wash produce thoroughly, and consider choosing organic options when possible, because they are not permitted to be grown using PFAS pesticides or any other synthetic pesticide. Resources like EWG’s Guide to Washing Produce and the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce can help to reduce a household’s dietary pesticide exposure. Regulatory and science gaps remain The widespread presence of PFAS pesticides on California-grown produce underscores a concerning and largely unaddressed gap in pesticide oversight. These chemicals are widely used in conventional agriculture. Their persistence, ability to generate long-lasting breakdown byproducts and links to immune, reproductive and developmental harm could pose risks to both human health and the environment over the long term. As attention to the broader PFAS contamination crisis intensifies, PFAS pesticides warrant far greater regulatory and scientific scrutiny, including more rigorous toxicity assessments by the federal EPA and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and a reconsideration of their use. Methodology EWG scientists analyzed 2023 pesticide residue data from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s annual monitoring program. The department is the state agency responsible for evaluating – and approval of – the safety of pesticide use in California. It collects produce samples and tests them for hundreds of pesticides . The produce samples are all collected in California, but about 30% of them are grown in the state. In 2023, the state collected over 900 samples of 78 different types of California-grown, conventional produce, and this subset was the basis for EWG’s analysis. The number of samples collected for each produce type range from one to 63. According to the California test methodology, the samples are not peeled or washed before they are tested for pesticide residues. The analysis focused on conventional California-grown produce samples (about one-quarter of all samples collected). PFAS pesticides were identified as active ingredients that meet the internationally recognized definition of PFAS based on chemical structure, as identified primarily in Donley et al. 2024 . These PFAS pesticides have also been identified by other state agencies including Minnesota . By Alexis Temkin, Ph.D. (EWG) Varun Subramaniam, M.S. (EWG) March 11, 2026 We’re in this together Donate today and join the fight to protect our environmental health. Donate Topics Learn about these issues California EWG’s California team takes aim at toxic chemicals threatening the health of state residents, from lead to pesticides to cosmetics ingredients. Pesticides Millions of people rely on EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce to reduce their exposure to toxic synthetic pesticides used on fruits and vegetables. The alternative is buy organic. PFAS Chemicals DuPont’s Teflon changed our lives, but also polluted our bodies. Today, Teflon-like compounds called PFAS are found in the blood of almost all Americans. These “forever chemicals” pollute water, don’t break down, and remain in the environment and people for decades. Farming & Agriculture EWG works to find innovative ways to protect your health and environment while ensuring a sustainable future for America’s working farmers. Toxic Chemicals Chemical companies aren't required to test chemicals for safety before they go on the market. 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