EPA Fact Checks Media: ‘Single Fluorinated Compounds Are NOT Forever Chemicals.’ New Fluorinated Pesticides with Ultra-Short Chain PFAS Approved by the EPA Don’t Accumulate in the Human Body as Long-Chain PFAS Do: Media Can Conflate Them

     All PFAS chemicals are not the same in terms of biological effects. The problematic PFAS are long-chained, having two or more fluorinated molecules. These bioaccumulate in the body and don’t break down in the environment, thus the moniker “forever chemicals.” However, ultra-short-chain PFAS chemicals do break down in the body. There remains some concern, however, about their environmental persistence.  

    The EPA recently approved two ultra-short chain PFAS chemicals as pesticides: cyclobutrifluram and isocycloseram, which will be used on crops including romaine lettuce, broccoli, and potatoes.

Doug Van Hoewyk, a toxicologist at Maine's Department of Agriculture, noted:

"It is important to differentiate between the highly toxic PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS for which the EPA has set drinking water standards, versus less toxic PFAS in pesticides that help maintain food security," he said.

"Many fluorinated compounds registered or proposed for U.S. pesticidal use in recent years offer unique benefits for farmers, users, and the public," EPA spokeswoman Brigit Hirsch told The Post.

     The activist media jumped on the announcement, citing both environmental persistence and possible effects on pollinators. Some of the stories conflated the different PFAS chemicals, noting the issues with long-chain PFAS detection in drinking water supplies and concentrated in sewage sludge biosolids.

“My reaction is shock and awe,” said Nathan Donnelly, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The worry is that this is irreversible. Whatever we put into our environment today will be lurking around forever.”

     Apparently, the negative press was enough for the EPA to issue a Fact Check:

“BOTTOM LINE: EPA-Approved Single Fluorinated Compounds Are NOT Forever Chemicals and Pose No Safety Concerns When Used According to Label Instructions.”

      EPA pointed out that distinguishing the two types of PFAS according to their chemical differences, which leads to differences in bioaccumulation, was established by the Biden EPA in 2023. The Biden EPA also approved single-chain fluorinated compounds for pesticide use.

“In 2023, the Biden EPA that went through a public rulemaking process and clearly defined PFAS as not including single fluorinated compounds. This deliberate exclusion of single fluorinated carbons was based on extensive scientific evidence and public input demonstrating that molecules with only one fluorinated carbon lack the persistence and bioaccumulation properties that are commonly associated with forever chemicals.”

     The fact check also noted that the single-chain PFAS compounds have no relation to the fluoride compound used to fluoridate water supplies. I found the full fact check to be informative, so I am reproducing it here:

 

    

References:

 

EPA approves new pesticides with PFAS ‘forever chemicals,' alarming scientists. Julia Marshall. Straight Arrow News. November 24, 2025. EPA approves new pesticides with PFAS ‘forever chemicals,' alarming scientists

FACT CHECK: EPA Debunks False Claims that Agency Recently Approved "Forever Chemical" Pesticides. U.S. EPA. November 26, 2025. FACT CHECK: EPA Debunks False Claims that Agency Recently Approved "Forever Chemical" Pesticides | US EPA

EPA approves new pesticide with PFAS, sparking health concerns. WRAL News. November 28, 2025. EPA approves new pesticide with PFAS, sparking health concerns :: WRAL.com

Pesticides Containing a Single Fluorinated Carbon. U.S. EPA. Last updated November 26, 2025. Pesticides Containing a Single Fluorinated Carbon | US EPA