EPA Adopts Narrow PFAS Definition to Approve New Pesticides

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has authorized the nationwide use of several new pesticides by adopting a narrow regulatory definition of PFAS that excludes single-fluorinated carbon compounds. This policy shift allows agrichemical manufacturers to bypass 'forever chemical' designations for products that many scientists argue should be restricted. For the chemical industry, this move secures a regulatory path for a growing category of active ingredients that now represent a significant portion of new pesticide approvals.

The EPA recently greenlit three pesticides containing fluorinated chemicals, marking a total of five such authorizations since November. These approvals were facilitated by the Office of Pesticide Programs' formal adoption of a narrow PFAS definition, which excludes substances composed of only one fluorinated carbon atom. Internal agency records obtained via FOIA show that the EPA's website was updated in late November 2025 to state that these single-fluorinated compounds 'are not PFAS.' This change aligns with the preferences of the chemical industry, despite warnings from environmental scientists that these 'forever chemicals' are defined by the persistent fluorine-carbon bond regardless of the number of atoms involved.

The policy shift was reportedly managed by several high-ranking EPA officials with previous ties to the agrichemical and chemical sectors. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin personally edited the agency's PFAS language, while the effort was coordinated by pesticide office head Kyle Kunkler, a former lobbyist for the American Soybean Association. Other key figures mentioned in internal records include Deputy Associate Administrator Cora Mandy and officials with past ties to the American Chemistry Council and firms like 3M, BASF, and Corteva. This internal coordination has drawn criticism from groups like the Center for Biological Diversity, which points out that PFAS-based ingredients now constitute roughly 14% of active ingredients in U.S. pesticides.

The regulatory change provides significant relief for major manufacturers such as Bayer, the producer of the newly approved pesticide Diflufenican. Trade groups like CropLife America have long lobbied for this specific definition to prevent state-level regulations and federal restrictions. While the EPA noted that the previous administration had also utilized similar narrow definitions for specific registrations, the formalization of this language represents a strategic victory for the chemical lobby. This development ensures that a wide array of fluorinated compounds can continue to be used in agricultural applications, even as public concern over environmental contamination and health risks associated with PFAS continues to grow.