The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved several new chemical pesticides on June 30, including diflufenican, epyrifenacil, and trifludimoxazin. However, the Center for Biological Diversity and other watchdog groups have warned that these pesticides could pose serious dangers to Americans' health.

According to these groups, some of the approved pesticides contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other chemicals linked to cancer and other negative health outcomes. The Center for Biological Diversity noted that diflufenican and epyrifenacil can break down into smaller PFAS chemicals such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a problematic water contaminant. Additionally, the Center for Food Safety reported that epyrifenacil caused liver tumors in male mice. The EPA has previously indicated "suggestive evidence" that trifludimoxazin may lead to cancer.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defines PFAS as chemicals containing single-fluorinated-carbon molecules, often called "forever chemicals" due to their strong carbon-fluorine bonds that resist breakdown. However, the EPA rejected this definition, stating that its Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics defines PFAS as chemicals containing two or more fluorinated carbons, based on scientific evidence that single-fluorinated-carbon molecules lack the persistence and bioaccumulation characteristic of genuine PFAS.

In 2025, Denmark's Environmental Protection Agency withdrew authorization for 23 pesticides, including diflufenican, partly due to alleged TFA contamination, according to the Center for Biological Diversity and the Pesticide Action Network.

These developments highlight ongoing debates over pesticide safety and chemical definitions between regulatory agencies and environmental groups.

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