Critics are hounding the administration of President Donald Trump for killing $15 million in research on widespread PFAS contamination of U.S. farmland, particularly at a time when poisonous sludge is behind a growing crisis in Maine, where 84 farms have been found to be significantly contaminated — forcing some to close.
The Guardian reports PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” and “Devil’s piss,” accumulate in the environment and the human body, where it causes brain damage in developing children. The Guardian reports the chemicals are also linked to cancer, liver disease, kidney issues, high cholesterol, birth defects and decreased immunity. Researchers have discovered that PFAS-laden pesticides and fertilizer contaminate the soil and then work their way into food crops and water sources.
Reports show companies like 3M knew the potential damage the chemicals pose to US children, but kept that information from the public. The chemicals remain in the environment for up to 1,000 years.
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“We have to do this research and take steps to not just make sure that our food supply is safe, but also ensure our farms and farmers are safe,” said Bill Pluecker, a Maine state representative and public policy organizer at Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, which has advocated for stricter regulations on PFAS-laden farm sludge run-off.
But the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) killed the PFAS research program in May. Several scientists told the Guardian they were appealing the decision.
The administration’s move is “not just stupid, it’s evil”, said Kyla Bennett, science director with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer), and a former EPA attorney.
“Cutting funding into research on how these toxic chemicals get into our food will doom us to decades or even hundreds of years more of exposure,” Bennett said.
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Studies suggest PFAS tend to follow water, meaning water-rich fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries and lettuce can be highly contaminated, but because PFAS outlast many civilizations it is already prevalent.
Read the full Guardian report at this link.