HARRISBURG, PA — A bloc of Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday launched a sweeping bid to block the use of so-called “forever chemicals” in pesticides, warning that the substances are quietly seeping into food, water and human bodies and could pose long-term health dangers across the Commonwealth.
State Rep. Tarik Khan, a Philadelphia Democrat and registered nurse, introduced legislation that would prohibit the sale and use of pesticides containing PFAS — a class of synthetic chemicals that do not naturally break down — whenever safer alternatives are available. The bill is designed to curb what supporters say is an emerging threat to public health, agriculture and drinking water supplies.
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are widely used in consumer and industrial products because of their resistance to heat, oil and water. But that same durability means they persist in soil and groundwater, and can accumulate in crops, livestock and people. Studies have linked PFAS exposure to elevated cholesterol, pregnancy complications, congenital disorders and certain cancers.
“Families should not have to worry that the food we put on the table contains chemicals that stay in our bodies forever,” Khan said. “As a nurse, I know that exposure to harmful chemicals can put pregnant women and babies at risk. This bill is about common sense and protecting families before harm is done.”
Khan was joined by Reps. Pat Harkins of Erie, Mary Isaacson of Philadelphia, Greg Scott of Montgomery County, Brian Monroe of Bucks County, Emily Kinkead and Mandy Steele of Allegheny County, Bob Merski of Erie and Joe Hohenstein of Philadelphia in rolling out the proposal.
Hohenstein said PFAS have no place in products designed to grow food. “When a pesticide contains chemicals that do not break down, harm public health, and have safer alternatives, Pennsylvania should not allow their use,” he said.
Supporters said the measure centers on prevention and transparency, arguing that communities should not be unknowingly exposed to toxic compounds through routine farming and landscaping practices. They also framed the effort as a pushback against what they called corporate interests that have resisted tighter controls on chemical additives.
“Pennsylvanians deserve clean food, clean water, and a government that answers to families, not powerful corporate interests,” Kinkead said.
The bill now heads to the state House for consideration, where sponsors are urging colleagues to move quickly as awareness grows about PFAS contamination nationwide. If adopted, Pennsylvania would join a small but growing number of states seeking to draw a hard line against the use of forever chemicals in products that touch the food supply and the environment.
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