The Use of PFAS Insecticides & Fungicides in the UK
The main issue surrounding the use of agro chemicals which contain PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, is that the PFAS components do not degrade for many years and therefore can build up in the environment to potentially harmful levels over time. This same theory applies to mercury accumulating in the marine food chain to eventually be found in potentially harmful quantities within apex predators such as the larger tuna species (bigeye and albacore). The toxicity effect specifically relates to species with lower levels of selenium such as shark and swordfish because mercury deactivates selenium dependent enzymes responsible for brain function. Providing you eat species with higher selenium than mercury levels (which is most fish species) then the negative consequences are avoided….that’s one side of the story anyway, but let’s set that debate aside.
A second issue regarding the use of PFAS products within agriculture is that although food samples are regularly tested the environment agency does not at present test rivers for them therefore the extent to which they are accumulating in groundwater supplies is unknown.
There are around 2 dozen active substances containing PFAS compounds used in fungicide and insecticide products within the UK at present on a wide range of crops, soft fruit especially but also on arable and vegetable crops such as potatoes, carrot and cabbage.
No one can argue that PFAS insecticides are harmful to the environment and indeed to humans but farmers are in a position where they have to protect their crops, they can’t afford the losses right now and most consumers are not going to buy a cabbage full of caterpillar droppings and crawling with grey fly.
All agro chemicals are of course safety tested as part of their licensing approval and are regulated by application rates and harvest intervals designed to limit maximum residual levels to within safe limits. However that doesn’t change the fact that active ingredients like lambda-cyhalothrin (found in insecticide products such as Hallmark, Audax, Balliol etc.) are highly toxic to humans and the PFAS components are highly persistent in the environment.
Thankfully newer chemistry is replacing products like these and other options are becoming available.
Consumers of course still have the choice to buy organic although even natural pyrethrin insecticides (such as Pyrethrum 5) approved for use in organic systems are toxic to pollinators so there’s always a trade off with production at scale, although at least they do not contain any PFAS compounds.
One way to reduce the size of this trade off is to push progress in the right direction. That’s why I support the phasing out of PFAS in insecticide and fungicide products to encourage the development of better chemistry which can support industrial agriculture…. and support it we must because it’s what feeds most of the nation.
Another way is to grow your own or start buying fresh produce from local growers who are chemical free and also free from the quality standards required by supermarkets. Encourage the growth of the small agriculture model and when you pay more than supermarket prices for a chemical free hand grown bunch of carrots from your local organic no dig market garden remember….you just bought your way out of the trade off.
We therefore propose:
- i) To phase out the use of PFAS in agrochemical products within the UK by 2029
- ii) To legislate the Environment Agency to immediately begin testing rivers, groundwater and drinking water supplies for the presence of PFAS compounds.
iii) To creat a ‘Get What You Pay For’ marketing campaign for small scale chemical free growers aimed at highlighting the differences in their production methods and their produce. It should also recommend an agreed pricing structure for hand grown organic produce from non mechanised no dig systems and justify the higher price structure accordingly. The public need to know exactly what it is they’re getting when you ‘Get What You Pay For’.