July 15, 2026 | by Organic Consumers Association
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used in nonstick cookware, waterproof fabric, stain-resistant carpets, food packaging, cosmetics, and firefighting foam. They do not break down in the environment or in the human body. They accumulate. PFAS are now in the blood of 98% of Americans and contaminating 45% of U.S. tap water. They cause cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, and liver damage. 30,000 factories have been dumping PFAS waste directly into our water for decades, and companies like 3M and DuPont knew it and kept doing it anyway.
The Fight Back Has Started
People are pushing back, and it is working. Minnesota passed Amara’s Law in 2023, becoming the second state in the country to ban PFAS, named after Amara Strande, who died at 20 from liver cancer caused by 3M dumping PFAS in her St. Paul suburb since the 1950s. Maine was the first state to act in 2022. California is now weighing legislation to monitor and report the use of PFAS pesticides statewide. In 2024, sustained public pressure finally pushed the Biden EPA to set the first-ever maximum contaminant limits for PFAS in drinking water.
The EPA Is Moving in the Wrong Direction
The EPA is rescinding protections for four of those chemicals and delaying enforcement of the remaining limits until 2031. More than 73 million people are served by water systems that have detected PFAS levels above the limits now being rolled back. The EPA’s own toxicity assessments found that exposure to even extremely small doses of the chemicals being rescinded could pose serious health risks. And at the same time, the EPA has been quietly approving new PFAS-based pesticides with no public announcement. In under two years, the Trump administration has authorized five PFAS pesticides, including three approved just this month. One of them carries the EPA’s own internal designation of “suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential.”
PFAS Is Now on Your Food Too
Trifludimoxazin, one of the three pesticides approved this month, is cleared for use on wheat, oats, and fruit. The EPA published the approval in the Federal Register and said nothing. There was no warning to farmworkers, no notification to the public. These approvals bring the total of PFAS pesticides greenlit in under two years to five, at roughly five times the pace of the previous administration.
What You Can Do Right Now
Start by checking EWG’s Tap Water Database to find out whether PFAS has been detected in your water system. Reverse osmosis filters are the most effective way to remove PFAS from tap water, and activated carbon filters are a lower-cost option. When shopping for a filter, look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 for carbon filters or NSF/ANSI 58 for reverse osmosis systems. Switching to bottled water is not the answer. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA, which has no PFAS standards at all.
The comment period on the EPA’s intent to block its own drinking water testing for PFAS closes July 20, 2026. TAKE ACTION: Tell the EPA to stop blocking PFAS testing and restore drinking water protections!
Check your water: EWG Tap Water Database
EWG’s guide to PFAS water filters
EPA quietly approves three new PFAS pesticides for use on food crops – EWG
3M and DuPont suppressed evidence of PFAS dangers for decades – CBS News
Trump EPA rolls back landmark PFAS drinking water protections – ProPublica
Over 73 million Americans served by water systems with PFAS above rescinded limits- NRDC
